(1036) Impact of an Interprofessional Preventive Care-focused Education Program on Formerly Incarcerated Individuals' Trust in the Healthcare System

Objectives: The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of an interprofessional health education program on formerly incarcerated individuals’ trust in the healthcare system. It is well-documented that people with histories of incarceration do not trust the healthcare system when compared to the general population. This is a pressing issue, considering the disproportionately high incidence of chronic conditions in the population of formerly incarcerated individuals (clients). However, there is a lack of research evaluating initiatives that can help improve this perception. Previous attempts at measuring trust in different demographics have utilized a Group-Based Medical Scale (GBMMS). The scale involves a statement related to the subjects' experiences and having them respond on a five-point Likert scale of strongly disagree to strongly agree. For this study, a modified 12-question GBMMS for people with criminal backgrounds was used. Additionally, collaborations were developed among student pharmacists, medical students, and a non-profit re-entry organization dedicated to assisting clients in adjusting to post-incarceration life. Through this interdisciplinary partnership, and with re-entry program assistance, community outreach education sessions were developed to investigate the potential impact on clients’ perceptions of and trust in the healthcare system.

Methods: Hour-long, weekly health education presentations on chronic conditions and immunizations were provided to clients at the re-entry facility by an interprofessional team of third and fourth professional year medical students (M3/M4) and student pharmacists (P3/P4). Clients attended an educational session consisting of a 45-minute presentation with a 15-minute question-and-answer session. Clients anonymously completed a paper-based GBMMS survey with eight multiple choice demographic questions and one question assessing likelihood of seeing a healthcare provider (pre-survey) before and GBMMS survey with one likelihood of seeing a healthcare provider question (post-survey) after the session. Anonymous and randomized subject numbers correlated pre- and post-surveys to allow for individual comparisons. The anticipated completion of the study is expected to be in February 2024.

Results: To date, 21/44 (48%) clients completed both pre- and post-surveys. Five clients completed only the pre-survey. Notable preliminary results include improvements in self-reported perceptions regarding healthcare providers sometimes hiding information from patients with a criminal history (33%); having the best interests of people with a criminal history (18%), and treatment of people with criminal backgrounds compared to people of other groups (18%). Additionally, 18% of respondents reported improvements in the perceived level of care for people with criminal backgrounds in most hospitals. Interestingly, post-survey results showed a 24% increase in respondents believing that people with criminal backgrounds should not confide in healthcare providers because it will be used against them.

Conclusions: Overall, preliminary results indicate a positive impact on formerly incarcerated individuals’ perceptions of trust in the healthcare system after a one-hour interprofessional patient education program on preventive medicine.