The ‘makeshift medicine’ framework describes how individuals address healthcare needs when they are unable to access the US healthcare system. The framework is applied to gender-affirming care, the health of people who inject drugs and abortion access. Recommendations for future research, advocacy and policy are made.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals
Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription
$29.99 / 30 days
cancel any time
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 digital issues and online access to articles
$119.00 per year
only $9.92 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
References
Keisler-Starkey, K. & Bunch, L. N. U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Reports, P60-278, Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2021 (US Government Publishing Office, 2022).
White Hughto, J. M., Reisner, S. L. & Pachankis, J. E. Soc. Sci. Med. 147, 222–231 (2015).
Montori, V. BMJ 375, n2886 (2021).
Raudenbush, D. T. Healthcare Off the Books: Poverty, Illness, and Strategies for Survival in Urban America (Univ. California Press, 2020).
Kelly, P. J. Commonhealth 1, 62–68 (2020).
Biancarelli, D. L. et al. Drug Alcohol Depend. 198, 80–86 (2019).
Gilbert, A. R., Hellman, J. L., Wilkes, M. S., Rees, V. W. & Summers, P. J. Harm Reduct. J. 16, 69 (2019).
Alexander, R. S., Canver, B. R., Sue, K. L. & Morford, K. L. Am. J. Public Health 112, 1212–1216 (2022).
Grossman, D. & Verma, N. J. Am. Med. Assoc. 328, 1693–1694 (2022).
Moseson, H. et al. Best Pract. Res. Clin. Obstet. Gynaecol. 63, 87–110 (2020).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Competing interests
The authors declare no competing interests.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kelly, P.J.A., Biello, K.B. & Hughto, J.M.W. Makeshift medicine is a response to US health system failures. Nat Hum Behav 7, 475–477 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-023-01575-z
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-023-01575-z