Question

What are some of the reasons people delay or avoid medical care? Describe 2-3 barriers to visiting a health professional and explain how they affect help-seeking behavior. Discuss potential problems related to delaying or avoiding medical care as well as potential solutions for improving help-seeking behavior.

End your discussion post with one well thought out question related to this unit from which your colleagues can formulate a response or generate further discussion.

Your Discussion should be at least 250 words in length, but not more than 750 words. Use APA citations and references for the textbook and any other sources used.

Answer 1

Some of the reasons for the patients to delay or avoid medical treatment and its barriers are

• Cost:The sky rocketing price on healthcare services to be available or affordable to all people are not possible .This high price make individual to avoid taking an insurance and thus reduce their burden of paying high premiums from their expenses.
• Lack of awareness:Peopel are still in a state where adequate information is not available in regards to preventive medicine for certain communicable disease with the help of vaccination
• Cultural belief and practices:Peopel avoid getting treated for illness due to their beloved and practices. Going for a medical help can be a sinful act especially when advised for procedures like blood transfusions (Jehovah's witnesses)
• Lack of trust on the health care professionals:This is mainly because of an existing thinking that the providers will only get money and will not provide the right treatment. This may drain them financially and mentally rather than physically
• Lifestyle:Hectic lifestyle filled with stress often make them to stay away from getting medical help.

The potential problems which can be raised from delaying medical treatment are

• The mild illness ending up in a chronic disease
• Increase in medical expenditures
• Poor recovery rate
• Chance of spreading infections to others in the family and the community

This can be prevented or tackled efficiently in the following way

• Government making sure all are covered
• Health camps and programs in the remote areas where accessibility is poor
• Regular screening and awareness programs
• Making use of the technology to alert people
• Sensors can be made available to all