Access to health care emerges as a top priority in S.C.
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control released the state health assessment, a comprehensive health evaluation of all South Carolinians.
The goal of the annual report is to identify trends, discrepancies and strategies to better improve the health of all who call South Carolina home.
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Those polled for the report said access to care, obesity, nutrition, physical activity, substance use, and mental health are the most important health issues South Carolinians face.
The assessment identified those issues by conducting 15 community health assessments, 29 listening sessions, 50 stakeholder interviews and 157 forces of change surveys statewide.
Access to care was not only the most concerning health issue identified in the report but it was also found to be an underlying cause of other health issues.
The assessment defines access to care as, “access to affordable health insurance, access to affordable quality health care, and health care infrastructure issues - specifically in rural areas.”
Several examples of this discrepancy include a lack of specialty care providers, physical brick and mortar locations, transportation to those that do exist, the stigma surrounding certain health topics, affordability, and other issues often exacerbated by low income, unemployment and inflation.
To fix the issue, the SHA suggests existing organizations should pool their resources. It also calls on the public to better educate themselves on what resources really are out there before assuming they don’t…
The assessment itself points out plenty more problems and trends for health agencies and practitioners to tackle in the new year, as well. You can read the entire assessment here.
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