Caring for the Incarcerated Patient: Provider Perceptions of Quality of Care in the State of Louisiana

Authors

• Haley Beavers Khoury, LSU Health Sciences Center - New Orleans
• Olivia K. Sugarman, Johns Hopkins University
• Andrea Armstrong, Loyola Unviersity of New Orleans
• Bruce Reilly, Voice of the Experienced (VOTE)
• Ashley Wennerstrom, LSU Health Sciences Center - New OrleansFollow

Abstract

Background: As of December 2023, there were roughly 28,000 people held in state custody in Louisiana. Prior research and litigation have documented challenges with healthcare service delivery within prisons, but less is known about the higher acuity care incarcerated people receive at state-contracted hospitals. Methods: Between November 2020 and January 2021, authors conducted semi-structured interviews with a convenience sample of Louisiana healthcare professionals about their experiences of providing incarcerated people care at hospitals. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Authors used applied thematic analysis techniques to synthesize qualitative data and identify themes. Results: Nine health professionals with diverse roles and specialties participated. Eight of nine providers expressed concerns that prisons do not provide adequate care to individuals in their charge, seven reported that incarcerated patients present to the hospital with late diagnoses or in terminal states of illness, and eight identified policy and systems barriers having a negative effect on care delivery. Discussion: Findings in this study are consistent with previous research demonstrating that incarcerated people in Louisiana receive inadequate healthcare. Providers at state-contracted hospitals may be unaware of how to improve care for incarcerated people. Educational campaigns and organizational support to enhance coordination between prisons and external hospitals and clinics may improve the quality of care incarcerated people receive. Conclusions: Healthcare providers perceive incarcerated people to receive inadequate quality of care, and there are steps organizations can take to improve this care.

DOI

10.59020/06421

Recommended Citation

Khoury, Haley Beavers; Sugarman, Olivia K.; Armstrong, Andrea; Reilly, Bruce; and Wennerstrom, Ashley (2025) "Caring for the Incarcerated Patient: Provider Perceptions of Quality of Care in the State of Louisiana," Journal of the Louisiana Public Health Association: Vol. 5: No. 1, Article 9.
DOI: 10.59020/06421
Available at: https://digitalscholar.lsuhsc.edu/jlpha/vol5/iss1/9