Barriers to Medical Care Are Frequently Reported by Patients With Cirrhosis

Area of Science:

• Hepatology and Gastroenterology
• Health Services Research
• Patient-Centered Care

Background:

• Patient-reported barriers to care can impede timely treatment and increase mortality risk.
• Understanding these barriers is vital for improving clinical outcomes and reducing health disparities in cirrhosis patients.
• Prevalence of care barriers in cirrhosis patients requires investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the prevalence of patient-reported barriers to medical care among adults with cirrhosis.
• To identify specific barriers impacting access to care for individuals with liver disease.
• To examine variations in barriers across different healthcare systems and demographic groups.

Main Methods:

• Survey administered to 1332 adult cirrhosis patients across four diverse US health systems.
• Barriers to care assessed using adapted questions from previous surveys.
• Descriptive statistics and Chi-square analysis used to summarize responses and examine group differences.

Main Results:

• Frequent barriers included travel time to clinic (22.7%), long appointment wait times (21.6%), and scheduling difficulties (19.2%).
• Few patients reported issues with finding time for appointments, discussing concerns with physicians, or physician engagement.
• Barriers varied significantly by healthcare system but were consistent across racial and ethnic subgroups.

Conclusions:

• Patients with cirrhosis frequently encounter barriers to accessing medical care, particularly appointment-related challenges.
• These barriers differ based on the healthcare system but are generally consistent across racial/ethnic groups.
• Identifying and addressing these care barriers is essential for improving patient outcomes in cirrhosis management.