Improving Care for At-Risk Populations
A special issue of Healthcare (ISSN 2227-9032).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 2
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Effective support for at-risk communities requires a comprehensive strategy that addresses the intricate interplay of societal, financial, and healthcare infrastructure. The principle of inverse care posits that those in greatest need frequently receive inadequate support, thereby exacerbating inequalities for low-income populations, racial and ethnic groups, and other groups at-risk. Public health crises further expose these vulnerabilities, as marginalized communities encounter intensified challenges, with increased health burdens and impediments to healthcare access. To mitigate these concerns, patient-focused healthcare frameworks emphasizing the understanding and fulfillment of patient needs can enhance outcomes and reduce disparities, particularly for minority and underserved populations.
Equitable outreach and health literacy improves healthcare access and trust in at-risk communities. An at-risk community approach seeks to reduce health inequalities by modifying social and environmental factors. Culturally attuned healthcare challenges traditional values by promoting social awareness and addressing power dynamics in patient–provider interactions, aiming to eradicate disparities. Collaborative strategizing and community involvement are crucial for developing effective, robust, and inclusive healthcare frameworks for at-risk groups. It is within this realm that we propose this Special Issue, inviting contributions from a wide spectrum of fields, such as public health and epidemiology, medicine, health promotion and education, global health, psychology, social work, nursing and allied health professions (occupational therapy, physical therapy, nutrition).
Dr. Guilherme W. Wendt
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Healthcare is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- public health and epidemiology
- health promotion and education
- global health
- medicine
- nursing
- psychology and psychiatry
- social work
- occupational and physical therapy
- nutrition
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