Week 2 Update
Saren S -
Hi everyone!
This week, I’ve primarily been shadowing at my site placement in the allergy clinic, which has given me a much deeper understanding of how allergists interact with patients and how stress manifests in those managing severe allergies. Observing patient consultations has been especially insightful—I’ve noticed that many individuals, particularly parents of children with allergies, express concerns about the financial burden of medications like EpiPens. Some patients also seem overwhelmed by the insurance approval process and the unpredictability of out-of-pocket costs, which ties directly into my research on how the financial strain of allergy treatments contributes to stress.
In addition to shadowing, I’ve been working on refining my survey. After seeing patient interactions firsthand, I realize I need to expand some of my questions to capture more nuanced responses about stress triggers. For example, I want to include questions about how often patients delay refilling prescriptions due to cost concerns or whether they’ve ever had to choose between affording allergy medication and other necessities. These additions will help paint a clearer picture of how financial barriers impact both physical and emotional well-being.
Looking ahead, I plan to finalize my survey and create a QR code that patients can scan when they walk into the clinic. This will make it easy for them to participate without disrupting their appointments, and I hope it encourages more responses. Once I gather enough data, I’ll start analyzing trends and patterns to see how financial stress, healthcare policies, and patient well-being intersect.
Comments:
All viewpoints are welcome but profane, threatening, disrespectful, or harassing comments will not be tolerated and are subject to moderation up to, and including, full deletion.