Week 9 Updates
Saren S -
This week, I shifted focus to synthesizing the qualitative feedback from my survey and using it to inform the direction of my research paper. I’ve been especially interested in the narratives people shared about how allergy care intersects with everyday life. These lived experiences are helping me shape a more human-centered angle in my analysis, beyond just the financial statistics.
At the clinic, I’ve also started talking more with the staff about documentation and coding practices, which has added a new layer to my understanding of how financial burdens can begin even before a prescription is written. If something isn’t coded “correctly,” it may not get covered by insurance—which delays access or shifts more cost to the patient. Learning about these behind-the-scenes steps has helped me think about how systemic issues contribute to what patients eventually pay at the pharmacy counter.
As I’ve been organizing my findings, I’ve also been exploring how geographic location affects accessibility to EpiPens, especially in rural versus urban areas. Some survey respondents from smaller towns noted that their local pharmacies either don’t stock EpiPens regularly or charge significantly more due to limited supply. In contrast, urban respondents often had more options but still faced high prices depending on the pharmacy chain. This has led me to consider how location-based disparities—not just income or insurance status—play a critical role in allergy care access. I’m planning to include this angle in my paper and potentially incorporate a few short case comparisons to show how something as simple as zip code can impact life-saving treatment availability.
On the writing side, I’ve been developing a structure that weaves personal accounts from my survey into broader discussions on healthcare policy, and I’ve started gathering supporting data from policy reports and academic journals. My goal is to balance the emotional weight of these stories with a strong foundation of research and evidence-based recommendations.
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