Assessing and Addressing: Assessing Doctor Office Accessibility and Addressing the Barriers

People with disabilities encounter numerous barriers when seeking quality healthcare services. Some barriers include healthcare provider offices and exam equipment that are inaccessible to people with mobility limitations. L.A. Care Health Plan, a public agency serving Los Angeles County, California, sought to 1) assess primary care practice sites for physical accessibility and 2) address inadequacies in access by providing grant funding to safety-net practices to enhance physical access. Trained registered nurses used a 55-question tool to evaluate physical access at 1,011 primary care provider sites throughout the County. Practices were rated on how well they met clearly defined standards for parking, walkway, building, waiting room, rest room, exam room, and equipment. Results show how many sites are compliant with the accessibility standards set forth in the assessment tool. For example, 87% of practices have an accessible waiting area, but less than 3% have accessible exam equipment. The results are published in a provider directory, made available to the public on the organization's website, and are updated periodically. As a response to the low percentage of practices with accessible equipment, L.A. Care launched a grant program that supplied height adjustable exam tables, wheelchair accessible weight scales, and assistive-listening devices to 83 provider sites. Sites included not-for-profit community clinics and County clinics serving predominantly low-income and uninsured individuals. Survey results indicate that providers are highly satisfied with the equipment, which they utilize at high rates, and they believe the equipment improves patient safety and quality of care, and reduces workforce injury.