Easing financial strain vital to well-being
Healthcare teams aim to address financial worries as a barrier to health
Story by Danielle Griffith | Photo by Shawna McGhan
Think back to your last medical visit. You likely discussed a current health concern or how to remain well. But would you be surprised if your primary care team asked you about your financial health?
In 2019, a small group of Primary Care Network (PCN) physicians and nurses began to ask patients a simple question about their financial well-being — ‘Do you ever have difficulty making ends meet at the end of the month?’ The team screened for financial stress to determine what supports could help reduce the risk of further health concerns. In what’s come to be known as social prescribing, health teams also work to connect patients with benefits and supports in their local community, to things such as transportation, food, medication and access to technology.
Thank you for your interest in and involvement with the RIFS project. This project was a ground-breaking collaboration between primary care, public health and communities utilizing a collaborative approach to address income as a determinant of health within the Patient’s Medical Home, Health Neighbourhood, and the community, resulting in a stronger, more integrated health ecosystem for patients. We are grateful to the many teams who made the work such a success and continue to collaborate and take action to reduce financial strain.
With the formal RIFS project now complete, focus has shifted to enabling this work to grow and evolve in other clinics and communities. Visit the Alberta Health Services – Healthier Together website to learn more and stay up to date on the initiatives that result from this project.
