A general internist specializing in addiction medicine has a comprehensive understanding of the intricate dynamic between social variables and access to medical care. Because of the nature of his job, he has firsthand experience with how a patient’s financial level, color, ethnicity, and other social determinants of health can substantially impact that patient’s capacity to get critical medical care, particularly for addiction.

Assuring that all patients have equal access to care is one of the biggest obstacles the healthcare industry faces today. Despite the notion that healthcare is a fundamental human right, many people cannot get the help they need because of many societal constraints. Some people with low incomes may struggle to meet their healthcare needs because they lack resources, such as transportation or the ability to miss work. Patients of Julian Mitton, MD, from racial and ethnic minority groups may also experience prejudice or bias from healthcare practitioners, resulting in lower-quality care and limited access to resources.

These difficulties are especially severe in the field of addiction medicine. It is not uncommon for people with drug use disorders to experience prejudice and discrimination from Julian Mitton, MD, and the general public due to the widespread stigma and misunderstanding around addiction. Addictive disorders frequently co-occur with other mental health issues, which can further complicate treatment and reduce patients’ opportunities.

A holistic approach to care that considers societal factors that affect access to health and addiction therapies is necessary to combat these issues. This may require addressing transportation and other logistical hurdles to care, investing in outreach and education initiatives to establish trust with underrepresented communities, and addressing structural prejudices and discrimination within the healthcare system.

Addressing social determinants of health in healthcare has been widely acknowledged in recent years. Programs and policies that can aid in reducing health disparities and promoting health equity are receiving a growing amount of attention from healthcare providers and politicians.

Behavioral health services are one example that has been integrated into primary care. Medical professionals can better serve their patients by lowering the obstacles to care and increasing positive outcomes when they offer mental health and addiction services in the primary care environment. Specialized addiction treatment may not be readily available to underserved communities. Thus this strategy is beneficial for them.

Promoting evidence-based treatments, such as medication-assisted treatment, is crucial to expanding addiction care (MAT) access. Despite the proven efficacy of medication-assisted therapy (MAT) for opioid addiction, its availability is restricted by several societal issues, such as stigma and a lack of provider training.

However, these issues can be mitigated by healthcare providers and governments cooperating to increase patient access to MAT and other effective addiction treatments. Expanding provider-training programs, funding of addiction treatment research, and efforts to decrease the stigma associated with addiction are all possible steps in this direction.

Various societal factors play a role in determining who has access to healthcare and addiction treatment. Healthcare professionals and policymakers need to use a holistic strategy that considers the particular difficulties experienced by underserved communities to address these issues effectively. The best way to guarantee everyone access to the care they need to be healthy and happy is to work for health equity and eliminate healthcare inequities.