Practical Strategies for Improving Men’s Health: Maximizing the Patient-Provider Encounter

Abstract

Inconsistent access to a healthcare provider (HCP), which can lead to advanced morbidity, is an oft-cited barrier to advancing health. Extensive review of the literature consistently suggests men are far less likely to engage within the healthcare system. This is particularly problematic pertaining to preventive services. As many health conditions are preventable and/or treatable in earlier stages, delay in screening and treatment often leads to long-term negative health outcomes. Lack of early and frequent preventive healthcare (e.g. primordial, primary, and secondary prevention) may even be perceived as “normative” where poorer health outcomes in males are expected.1 In fact, some evidence demonstrates a clear connection that seeking help via healthcare runs contrary to masculinity and dominant masculine principles, such as being strong/sturdy, working through pain, avoiding weakness or anything perceived as feminine, among other psychosocial phenomena.2,3
 Changing healthcare “culture” concerning the care of men (i.e. gender-sensitive care) may provide a salient avenue to encourage more consistent and preventive contact or “touch points” in the patient-provider dynamic. There is a need to understand how social norms and practices in healthcare and medical settings can be effectively leveraged to address life-long male health outcomes versus focusing on late(r)-stage palliative care.
 The purpose of this article is to advance dialogue concerning practical considerations, such as resources (e.g. time, money) and methods (e.g. practitioners considering whether men respond best to immediate efforts to establish rapport versus a traditional power-based dynamic during the medical interaction) so as to inform gender-sensitive touchpoints in the healthcare of men. Location and types of facilities where men are willing to seek care (preventative or palliative) also need to be considered in a holistic, gender-sensitive patient-provider model of healthcare. Implications, policies, and evidence-based practical strategies for leveraging medical education, prevention programming, proper and improper recognition and management, and long-term treatment are presented and discussed with the practitioner in mind.

Notions About Men and Masculinities Among Health Care Professionals Working With Men’s Sexual Health: A Focus Group Study

“…HCP identities and expressions could alleviate or aggravate this. Professional and gender-sensitive interpersonal dynamics between HCPs and patients have been identified as important for the improvement of men’s health and the likelihood of care-seeking, particularly regarding potentially sensitive issues such as sexual health ( Leone et al, 2021 ). Our findings suggest that HCPs use private and personal notions of men and masculinity in relation to men seeking sexual health care, that is, they have not incorporated gender awareness in how they describe men and masculinity.…”

Men's health disparities: Causes and interventions

“…The ramifications of such belief, however, should not be overlooked. For example, men consistently refuse to seek medical care because they fear being viewed or perceived as vulnerable, which is contrary to their masculine dogma 3 . Parenthetically, men between the ages of 25 and 65 are four times more likely than women to die from cardiovascular disease and more likely to be diagnosed with terminal illnesses due to their aversion to seeing a doctor.…”

“…Efforts therefore should be instituted to encourage men to improve their utilization of primary and preventive care, thus reducing healthcare costs. This can be very productive by reaching men at their worksites or places of local gatherings 3 . Fundamentally, healthcare systems and professionals can improve men's utilization of health services by providing outreach campaigns for men in rural and underserved areas.…”

“…Several research studies indicated that lack of resources, such as time and money, fear of being viewed as weak, and concerns about gender and cultural insensitivity, are some of the reasons why men are less interested in their health 9,18 . Other theories argued that there are three causes for their health disparities, such as “lack of concentrated health education efforts; the economic impact of overall health status among males; and the social norms perpetuating risk factors for males to live sicker and die younger.” 3 …”

“…Men are disproportionately burdened by problematic poorer health outcomes and illness compared to women. [1][2][3] Yet, addressing men's intricate health needs has not received reasonable attention in academia, research, and policy. 1,2,[4][5][6] This is quite evident in the challenging negative health outcomes witnessed by men.…”