Using forms to access healthcare

There are several things that could be done to enable Mr Bell, and others in similar situations, to access the doctor.

For example:

• The form is completed with the receptionist / nurse/ doctor
• The form is user-friendly, i.e. short and easy to read.
• People are encouraged to come with another person for support.
• Mr Bell attends adult education classes and improves his reading and writing skills.

So now the question remains: how useful are forms in practice? Like many other questions, the answer is: it depends.

Forms are used to capture lots of information from people. As a way of doing just that, they can be useful. Nevertheless, for Mr Bell, and many like him, forms present a barrier to access healthcare. For health professionals they can gather a lot of information quickly, but are of most use when accurately completed.