pLOG

2024-06-28

Effective Financial Counseling and Resource Referral to Enhance Patient Medication Access and Adherence

In today's healthcare environment, financial pressure is often a significant factor affecting patient treatment adherence and medical outcomes. Through PatientsForce's Patient Support Programs (PSPs), specialized educators provide not only disease and medication education and psychological support, but also financial counseling and resource referrals for economically disadvantaged patients and their families. This ensures that patients can access medication treatment opportunities and adhere to prescribed medication regimens throughout their healthcare journey.

Here are some case references from PatientsForce's PSP:

Insurance Calculation Services In a cancer consultation project, a consultant shared the story of a patient who had just embraced the joy of pregnancy when diagnosed with breast cancer. The patient was learning how to be a mother and care for a newborn while facing urgent cancer treatment and medical expenses. To alleviate the burden of medication costs, the consultant provided insurance calculation services, helping the patient understand her insurance coverage better. This facilitated a successful claim for cancer medication insurance benefits, allowing the patient to undergo treatment and prepare for childbirth with peace of mind.

Provision of Care Resources In our hematology-oncology rare disease project, statistics show that nearly 60% of patients come from economically disadvantaged families. We collaborate with pharmaceutical companies to provide value-added care programs. Although the medication is covered by health insurance, to further enhance patient adherence, educators assist patients in applying for various resource supports based on their needs. These include monthly transportation services for hospital visits, arranging home care personnel for home injections, and even regular rehabilitation or physical therapy, all free of charge to ensure better treatment care for patients.

Financial Resource Referral The support network of a patient's family is also indispensable. An educator once served a rare disease patient with a disability certificate, who had the intelligence level of a 5-6 year-old and was completely unable to care for himself. The patient's father, fully paralyzed, was placed in a nursing home, leaving the mother as the primary caregiver. During several service follow-ups, the educator learned that the patient's mother faced a significant surgery cost for a thoracic herniated disc and struggled with a stable income due to caregiving responsibilities. Through resource referral, the educator successfully assisted the family in obtaining a one-time financial grant to alleviate the sudden financial pressure.

Educators understand patients' needs through their services and provide effective financial communication and resource referrals, helping patients and their families reduce financial pressure and continue receiving medication treatment. This reflects PatientsForce's long-standing patient-centered values, ensuring that every patient we serve can receive better medical care and treatment in financially stable conditions.