Patient-Perceived Barriers to Care for Bell’s Palsy

Introduction: Timely treatment of Bell’s palsy is associated with improvements in facial function and quality of life; however, patient-related barriers to care for Bell’s palsy remain unclear.

Methods: A cross-sectional study of participants with Bell’s palsy in the All of Us database from September 2016 to May 2022 was performed. Participants with complete data for age, gender, race, income, insurance status, and education level were studied. Multivariable logistic regression was performed on participant-reported healthcare barriers from the Health Care Access and Utilization survey.

Results: In total, 699 participants were included in the analysis. After adjusting for gender, race, income, insurance status, and educational level, younger participants were more likely to delay or avoid medical care due to anxiety (odds ratio [OR]: 5.30, p < 0.001), identity and background differences with providers (OR: 0.22, p < 0.001), and a lower perceived patient-physician relationship (OR: 0.45, p < 0.01) when compared to older participants. Within the preceding year of survey completion, younger participants were also less likely to have sought care from a medical specialist (OR: 0.52, p < 0.05).

Conclusions: Younger patients with Bell’s palsy face patient-physician-centered barriers limiting timely treatment. Addressing patient-perceived barriers to care is paramount to improving the overall management of Bell’s palsy.