Identifying Barriers to Preventive/Primary Care Utilization of Men in a Rural Setting

• Main Author: Seibold, Shaun Earl
• Format: Others
• Published: North Dakota State University 2021
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10365/31760

The purpose of the project was to identify barriers preventing men living in a rural setting, ages 19-60 from participating in routine preventative/primary care. Nationally and globally, men experience greater rates of morbidity and mortality due to chronic illness (Xu, Murphy, Kochanek, Bastian, & Arius, 2018). The literature suggests men do not routinely engage in primary care services (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2015). The lack of participation leads to men experiencing poorer health outcomes (Banks & Baker, 2013; Baker & Shand, 2017; Pinkashov et al., 2013). Consistent and early access to primary care will help reduce the disparity and improve male health outcomes. The objectives of the practice improvement project (PIP) were: (1) identify actual and potential primary care uptake barriers of men aged 19-60 in a rural ND community; (2) discuss those barriers with rural ND healthcare clinic providers and clinical director and provide recommendations to improve men’s uptake in primary care services; and (3) measure effectiveness of providers implementing recommendations to reduce those barriers. Participants were recruited to voluntarily complete a 20-item questionnaire, free blood pressure screening, body fat analysis, and grip test. The survey results identified barriers in the areas of health literacy, confidentiality, empowerment, and self-efficacy. Through the utilization of a barrier screening survey, the coinvestigator was able to implement an educational presentation to the rural providers. The educational session provided interventional strategies for improving male utilization of primary care services. As result of the PIP, the rural healthcare organization was able to adopt two of the recommendations into practice. Additionally, the coinvestigator recommended incorporating body fat analysis and grip testing into the yearly examination. The screenings are relatively low-cost and non-invasive. Both screenings can offer the provider additional information regarding the overall health of their patients (Legrand et al., 2014; Park et al., 2019; Prasitsiriphon & Pothisiri, 2018). The additional health information can lead to more informed decision making and potentially aid in improved health outcomes for the patients.