Abstract
Objective: To study the provider-perceived impacts of social vulnerability on patients’ access to care during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Data Sources and Study Settings: Survey data was collected from healthcare providers in a medium-sized county within a south-eastern state in the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Study Design: A cross-sectional mixed-method survey design was utilized to collect qualitative and quantitative data from study participants.
Data Collection: Healthcare providers were recruited from all major healthcare-related state licensure boards, including nurses, physicians, psychologists, social workers, and mental health counselors. The final study sample consisted of 141 licensed healthcare providers.
Principal Findings: Healthcare providers in our study indicated that the social vulnerability factors impacted patients’ access to care. This study provides recommendations for improving access to care among socially vulnerable populations during pandemics as a means to reduce health disparities. The study also identifies areas for future research.