The Axes of Access - Improving Care for Patients with Disabilities

The authors describe barriers to high-quality care for patients with disabilities and argue that systematic changes are needed to eliminate physical and communication barriers to accessing excellent care.It was Friday afternoon, and I had promised my patient's family that I would discharge her. Despite trying all day to make a follow-up appointment with the appropriate subspecialist, I could not find a practice within 50 miles of her home that could accommodate a patient who used a wheelchair. After I explained the situation and apologized, the patient said to me, You know, Doctor, it's like discrimination or something.The statement of the patient in the vignette is supported by a growing body of evidence that persons with disabilities confront barriers when attempting to access the health care system. ...