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Shari Allen, PharmD, BCPP |
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Tyler Whitlock, PharmD Candidate 2022 |
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Eunice Ezechuckwu, PharmD Candiate 2022 |
DEAI stands for diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion. DEAI is an acronym that is being widely implemented into healthcare, and other industries across the United States today. Advocates for the DEAI movement encourage society to be more mindful, respectful, and accepting of others. Additionally, society is encouraged to be more purposeful in how DEAI is practiced. Merriam Webster defines diversity as “the state of having people who are different races or who have different cultures in a group or organization”. Even when people appear the same, they all possess unique qualities that make them different. Organizational diversity requires examining and questioning the makeup of a group to ensure that multiple perspectives are represented. Equity is the fair and just treatment of all members of a community. Equity requires commitment to strategic priorities, resources, respect, and civility, as well as ongoing action and assessment of progress towards achieving specified goals. Accessibility is giving equitable access to everyone along the continuum of human ability and experience. Lastly, inclusion is the practice or policy of providing equal access to opportunities and resources for people who might be otherwise excluded or marginalized.
There are many barriers and facilitators for patients with a mental health diagnosis to receive adequate health care. Barriers are defined as factors that would limit or restrict implementation of shared decision making in clinical practice. Facilitators are defined as factors that would promote or help implement shared decision making in clinical practice. Some of the most common barriers include a lack coverage of mental health disorders on some insurance plans, a stigma from patients seeing psychiatrists or other mental health providers, the long waiting list to see mental health providers or psychiatrists, the time constraint in managing patients, and patients’ adherence to treatment plans. These have all been identified as barriers or reasons why it is harder for patients with a mental health diagnosis to receive the adequate health care that they need. One of the largest barriers listed is insurance plans not having adequate mental health coverage. This is often the first step in seeking help for mental health and may keep some patients from receiving help because they cannot afford out of pocket cost. Along with barriers, there are also some facilitators that have been identified. These include promoting public awareness that seeking help yields positive results, adequate explanations by health care professionals prior to referrals, and having a primary care provider with postgraduate training in mental health. Promoting to the public that positive results are yielded when seeking help is a top facilitator. Improving this could reduce stigma associated with seeking help.
When considering the mental health patient population, one of the biggest areas of concern is inadequate healthcare as it relates to mental illnesses. Mental health is not levied the same as other co-morbid conditions such as hyperlipidemia, diabetes, hypertension, and this is demonstrated by the lack of mental health coverage on insurance plans. This is where psychiatric pharmacists can step in and make a difference in not only improving DEAI, but the overall healthcare of the mental health patient population. Psychiatric pharmacists work in conjunction with psychiatrists and other health care providers to properly coordinate care for patients with mental illnesses. Pharmacists are able to use their drug knowledge to educate providers about various medications, and often times are able to communicate concerns with the provider on behalf of the patient that could be exacerbating mental health symptoms, such as pain. Psychiatric pharmacists have the opportunity to advocate for patients with insurance companies, for mental health services and/or pharmacotherapy needs. Educating insurance providers about the benefits received from being able to utilize mental health services, could improve overall quality of life. Psychiatric pharmacists can utilize their mental health skill set to answer prior authorization paperwork that is often required by insurance companies for some mental health medications. By acting as a patient liaison on the healthcare team to insurance providers, psychiatric pharmacists able to bridge gaps in healthcare, and improve DEAI.
DEAI is very important to the mental health patient population. Mental illnesses affect all patients differently, making this patient population diverse. They also deserve accessibility to affordable mental health services of any magnitude. Inclusion is demonstrated by ensuring these patients have adequate resources to meet their healthcare needs and improve quality of life.
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