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Preventive care access among women low amid info desert
Preventive care access among women was low in the past 12 months amid issues with information access and affordability.
Preventive care access among women is low, with a recent Ipsos poll commissioned by the Alliance for Women's Health and Prevention (AWHP) showing 42% of women can't or don't access key health services.
The survey of 3,199 women over 18 revealed that a lack of urgency, healthcare affordability and competing priorities are the top reasons they don't access preventive care.
"Affordability and informational barriers continue to hinder women’s preventive healthcare—including vaccines, screenings, and routine check-ups," Millicent Gorham, CEO of AWHP, said in a statement emailed to the press. "We must do more to support accessible and affordable preventive healthcare for all women—regardless of race, ethnicity, or zip code. AWHP will continue to advocate for policies that support early detection and diagnosis and advance access to preventive care for all women and girls."
Women most commonly miss health services like getting routine or recommended vaccines (26%), preventive health services such as check-ups and routine tests (19%) and medical tests or treatments (13%).
Around three in 10 (29%) of women said they don't get these services because they don't think they need to access preventive care. Another fifth (22%) said they can't afford the out-of-pocket costs associated with preventive screenings and potential subsequent screenings. Meanwhile, 19% of women said they have to prioritize other obligations like work, school or childcare.
The survey also showed that healthcare is becoming more inaccessible for women.
In the past 12 months, women experienced limited appointment availability that kept them from accessing healthcare. Some 12% said they couldn't get an appointment with a primary care provider, while 8% couldn't get one with an OBGYN and 5% couldn't get an appointment for a diagnostic screening or test.
Women continue to consider vaccine access
Although preventive care access is limited, women are making an effort, the survey showed.
Specifically, women want to be able to access vaccines. Although 48% said there can be stigma and judgment around receiving vaccines, 92% said that vaccines must be available and accessible to all who want them and covered by insurance.
In the past 12 months, 51% of women received a vaccine. However, these numbers fall along racial lines, with 42% of Black and 46% of Hispanic women saying they received their vaccines in the past year. By comparison, 55% of white women received their vaccines this year.
The most common barriers to vaccination included fears of potential side effects (38%), thinking they don't need to be vaccinated at this time (28%) and affordability worries (13%).
The survey showed that patient-provider communication about vaccination remains critical. Half of women said they discussed vaccines with their clinicians this year, and 81% said they'd get a vaccine if their clinician recommended it.
Health disparities remain in cancer screening access
In addition to vaccine access disparities, the survey highlighted inequities in cancer screening access.
For example, while 50% of white women said they've completed cervical cancer screening in their lifetime, only 43% of women of color said the same.
Moreover, women of color are less likely to have the information they need to make decisions about cancer screening access. While 82% of white survey respondents said they have the information and resources needed to make screening decisions, only 74% of women of color said the same.
Additionally, 43% of Black women and 45% of Hispanic women said they felt stigma and judgment around seeking cancer services. Only 23% of white women reported the same concerns.
"This research reinforces the inequities we know are prevalent in healthcare and particularly in women’s health," Haywood Brown, MD, a board-certified OBGYN and member of AWHP’s Board of Directors, said in the press release.
"Black women are more likely to die from breast and cervical cancers, despite advancements in screenings, and we must continue working to create an environment where all women—and especially women of color—are heard while providing them with the valuable information and resources they need to make informed decisions about their health."
Can social media fill knowledge gaps?
As access to primary and preventive care falls to the wayside, the survey showed that women are turning to other sources to learn more about their health.
Indeed, healthcare providers remain the most common source of health-related information for two-thirds of survey respondents.
But 39% of women also said social media is a good place to find information and get peer support for their health issues and concerns. Another 23% said they've followed healthcare advice they've seen on social media; women who said they skipped preventive care were more likely to heed advice they saw on the internet.
A majority of survey respondents noted the mixed messages they get on social media, with 68% saying they've encountered confusing information. But remarkably, about one in four women under age 50 still said social media influencers are as reliable as healthcare providers.
This is a key gap in patient trust, the survey authors said, and it's incumbent upon healthcare providers to ensure patients are getting the best health information from the most reputable sources.
"Social media is a valuable tool for sharing healthcare resources and building communities among individuals with shared experiences, however, it’s important that women continue to talk with their provider about what is best for their unique needs and circumstances," Cheruba Prabakar, M.D., a board-certified OBGYN, founder and CEO of Lamorinda Gynecology and Surgery and member of AWHP’s Advisory Council, said in the press release.
"AWHP’s survey results show that 1 in 4 women under 50 (24%) agree that health influencers are as reliable as healthcare providers—but the Internet should be supplementary, and not a substitute, for working with a healthcare professional."
Sara Heath has covered news related to patient engagement and health equity since 2015.
