Too poor to pay attention…

I first heard that as a joke- “ I was too po’ to pay attention”. But I’ve learned that poor is a condition that influences attention and health outcomes. We talk about the social determinant of health as non-medical influencers of health. Financial instability is one of those conditions. Think about it. How much do you pay per month for healthcare insurance? How much do you pay for copayments, deductibles, and other uncovered costs? The price of healthcare also includes sick days, lossed time from work, transportation to and from appointments, and over-the-counter supplements and other self-care products.

How does this relate to paying attention? The stress of being unhealthy, worrying about cost of living impacts your cognition, activity tolerance, negatively effecting the ability to attend to an activity and learn new information. Occupational Therapist refer to this as cognitive endurance. This is understood when we talk about children who are hungry and cannot pay attention in school and are at risk to fall behind norms.

As a healthcare provider, I encourage others to remember and consider financial instability as a cause for poor outcomes and a patient’s inability to comply with all the demands of healthcare. Simply consider the fact that everyone cannot afford healthcare in the USA in 2026. Try to assist in ways to help them access care by addressing individual needs.