Theme #1: Participants’ Reflections on the Effect of HRSN on Health
disability
Lack of reliable transportation was cited as a recurring difficulty for many
patients. They described how it was often challenging to get to appointments and to
the grocery store, and many had to rely on others for transporation because
ride-sharing services or taxis were prohibitively expensive. Some patients talked
about the difficulty of being unemployed, often because of a disability, and how
that caused a substantial amount of financial insecurity. We asked participants how
they felt their health would improve if some of their HRSN were met—specifically
transportation difficulties and other financial hardships—and some agreed that it
would make a difference: While most participants were able to describe how their HRSN were negatively
impacting their life, when asked how they thought their health would specifically
improve if their HRSN were met, many felt that it wouldn’t change, often because of
the number or type of medical issues: 