Financial Distress Is Associated With Delay in Seeking Care for Hand Conditions.

ABSTRACT: Background: As medical costs continue to rise, financial distress due to these costs has led to poorer health outcomes and patient cost-coping behavior. Here, we test the null hypothesis that financial distress is not associated with delay of seeking care for hand conditions. Methods: Eighty-seven new patients presenting to the hand clinic for nontraumatic conditions completed our study. Patients completed validated instruments for measuring financial distress, pain catastrophizing, and pain. Questions regarding delay of care were included. The primary outcome was self-reported delay of the current hand clinic visit. Results: Patients who experience high financial distress differed significantly from those who experience low financial distress with respect to age, race

SUBMITTER: Zhuang T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8283103 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature