Keywords

patient adherence, community health clinic, medical follow-up care, socioeconomic factors, Spanish-speaking patients

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this project was to identify the rates of and reasons for nonadherence in medical follow-up care among patients who utilize the Volunteer Care Clinic (VCC).

Background: The VCC is a free outpatient care center for acute medical conditions. The VCC serves uninsured, low socioeconomic residents of Utah County, and many of the patients who come to the clinic primarily speak Spanish. The director of the VCC expressed concern that patients who were assigned medical follow-up care to complete after their visit were not completing these assignments. Nonadherence is associated with increased costs, more hospitalizations, and worse patient health outcomes. Addressing and improving medical adherence to follow-up care is associated with fewer healthcare costs and better long-term patient health.

Methods: Qualifying participants included those who had attended the VCC in April 2023 and had been given medical follow-up care. Two BYU students fluent in Spanish conducted telephone interviews. Patients were informed that their decision to answer or decline to answer questions would not affect the care they received at the clinic. This project was deemed exempt by the institutional IRB.

Results: Of the 171 patients who visited the clinic in April 2023, 120 were given medical follow-up care to complete. At least one attempt was made to contact all 120 potential participants. Sixty-five respondents agreed to participate in the survey. About half (49%) of the patients completed their medical follow-up care; of those who did not, the main reasons for nonadherence included financial barriers, time, and symptom resolution. Other reasons for nonadherence included incorrect referral information, a language barrier, and transportation.

Discussion: Money and time were the most significant obstacles affecting patients’ ability to complete follow-up medical care.

Conclusion: Interventions to address improving adherence to medical follow-up care may include providing community resources to ease the financial burden and allow more financial resources to be dedicated to healthcare costs.

Document Type

Master's Project

Publication Date

2024-07-16

Language

English

College

Nursing

Department

Nursing

University Standing at Time of Publication

Graduate Student

Course

NURS 698 R - Master's Project

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Available for download on Thursday, July 16, 2026

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