Thesis (M. Dev.) --University of Limpopo, 2013 / Section 27 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 provides that everyone has a right to have access to health care. South Africa embraces the concept of universal health care coverage. Access to health care has four dimensions: geographic accessibility, availability, financial accessibility and acceptability. If there were barriers to access to health care, the stake-holders would be duty-bound to design interventions requisite to address those barriers. The aim of the study was to establish whether health care users enjoy the right to have access to health services at Ratshaatsha Community Health Centre (RCHC). The study used a combination of quantitative and qualitative research designs. While a questionnaire was used to collect quantitative data, focused group discussions and participant observations were employed to collect qualitative data. The following are the main findings of the study. Human rights instruments clearly spell out the indivisible and mutually supportive rights that persons have. There are barriers that often affect the rights to have access to health services at RCHC. For instance, the RCHC is not within a 25 km radius of some of the consumers of health care. The roads that link up the health care users and RCHC are in poor condition. The community is generally poverty-stricken. Many cannot afford, among others, the costs of basic needs, transport fares and opportunity costs. Travelling distance and time, scarce skills and lack of medication and equipment rank among demand-side and supply-side barriers to access to health care. Health care users often choose to consult churches and traditional healers. It is recommended that government should, among others, co-ordinate primary health care services in collaboration with churches and traditional healers; commission research into traditional health medicine and healing procedures and protocols of other health care providers; develop policy on cross-referral of patients; improve community participation; set minimum norms and standards for the delivery of alternative health care services; establish health care management guidelines for churches and traditional healers; integrate health care provisioning into IDPs; and provide health care in an integrated intergovernmental manner.

Orientador: Clea Adas Saliba Garbin / Banca: Ronald Jefferson Martins / Banca: Paula Caetano Araújo / Resumo: De acordo com o Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE), no Brasil, existem mais de 6,5 milhões de pessoas com deficiência visual, sendo 582 mil cegas e 6 milhões com baixa visão, segundo dados da fundação, com base no Censo 2010. Apesar da prevalência alta de deficiência visual, há pouca informação disponível sobre os cuidados de saúde bucal e as necessidades desses indivíduos. Nesse sentido, o objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a percepção e a condição de saúde bucal das pessoas com deficiência visual, bem como o acesso e a satisfação delas em relação aos serviços de saúde bucal. Trata-se de um estudo quantitativo, de caráter transversal, realizado com pessoas com deficiência visual de um Instituto para cegos. Foi utilizado um questionário semiestruturado com perguntas abertas e fechadas sobre o tema. As variáveis pesquisadas foram: gênero, tipo de deficiência visual, tempo dessa deficiência, condição socioeconômica, percepção (OHIP-14) e condição da saúde bucal (CPOD), acesso e satisfação em relação aos serviços de saúde bucal. A análise de dados foi descritiva, sob a forma de frequência relativa, absoluta e analítica. Foi realizada a comparação entre variáveis categóricas por meio dos testes Qui-quadrado, teste Exato de Fisher, com nível de significância de 5%. Entre os resultados desta pesquisa, pode-se notar que, do total de pesquisados (n=72), 65,3% eram do sexo masculino, com média de idade de 34,6 ± 20,8 anos; metade possuía cegueira total. Quando per... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: According to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), in Brazil, there are more than 6.5 million people with visual impairment, 582,000 blind and 6 million with low vision, according to the foundation's data, based on the Census 2010. Despite the high prevalence of visual impairment, there is little information available on oral health care and the needs of these individuals. In this sense, the objective of this study was to evaluate the perception and the oral health condition of people with visual impairment, as well as their access and satisfaction regarding oral health services. This is a cross-sectional, quantitative study of visually impaired people at an Institute for the Blind. A semi-structured questionnaire was used with open and closed questions on the subject. The variables studied were: gender, type of visual impairment, time of this deficiency, socioeconomic condition, perception (OHIP-14) and oral health condition (DMFT), access and satisfaction regarding oral health services. The data analysis was descriptive, in the form of relative, absolute and analytical frequency. The categorical variables were compared using the Chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, with a significance level of 5%. Among the results of this research, it can be noted that, of the total number of respondents (n = 72), 65.3% were males, with a mean age of 34.6 ± 20.8 years; half had total blindness. When asked about the need to go to the dentist, 66.7% answered affirmativ... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

Objectif : identifier de nouvelles formes d’organisation et adaptations à développer en soins primaires pour améliorer la prise en charge des personnes sans chez-soi (PSCS).Méthode : recherche mixte. une première phase a exploré les ressentis des médecins généralistes (MG) sur leur place dans la prise en charge des PSCS. La seconde phase a consisté à décrire, par une revue de la littérature, les principales composantes des programmes de soins primaires prenant en charge les PSCS, et identifier les plus pertinentes. La dernière phase a exploré le vécu et les représentations des PSCS vis-à-vis des soins premiers.Résultats : les médecins généralistes relevaient la complexité des prises en charge et le besoin d’une coordination médico-psycho-sociale renforcée. Dans la littérature, la quasi-totalité des programmes prenant en charge les personnes sans chez-soi privilégiaient cette approche pluridisciplinaire coordonnée. Les caractéristiques associées à des impacts positifs pour les PSCS étaient : la spécialisation dans leur prise en charge, l’accompagnement, les approches multidisciplinaires, l’implication d’infirmières dans la prise en charge, l’intégration de services d’aide sociale, et l’engagement dans la santé communautaire. Les entretiens auprès des PSCS ont relevé l’importance des attentes relationnelles : plus qu’une réponse médicale, ils souhaitent être écoutés, considérés et compris.Conclusion : les programmes de soins primaires souhaitant prendre en charge PSCS devraient privilégier une approche pluridisciplinaire et décloisonnée des soins de santé physique, mentale, et de la prise en charge sociale de ces patients, en privilégiant une approche centrée-patient. / Aim: to identify new forms of organization and adaptations to develop in primary care to improve the care of Homeless People (HP).Method: research by mixed methods. In the first phase we explored the views of general practitioners (GPs) about how they can provide care to HP. In the second phase we led a literature review, to describe the main characteristics of the primary care programs that take care of homeless people, and to identify which could be most relevant. In the third phase, we explored the experience and views of HP about primary care.Results: GPs expressed the need to develop medical and psychosocial approach with closer relation with social workers. In the litterature, almost all homelessness programs developed a multidisciplinary approach and / or offered co-located mental health, physical health and social services. Some characteristics were associated with significant positive outcomes: tailored primary care organizations, clinic orientation, multidisciplinary team-based models which included primary care physicians and clinic nurses, integration of social support, and engagement in the community’s health. The interviews with HP showed central relational expectations of HP for their general practitioner. More than a medical response, they expected to be listened to, considered and understood.Conclusion: Primary care programs that wish to better care for HP should develop a multidisciplinary, medico-psycho-social approach. The patient-centered approach appears warranted to improve the care experience of these patients.

This study operationalized the five dimensions of health care access in the context of contraceptive service provision and used this framework to examine access to contraceptive care at health department (HD) (Title X funded) and federally qualified health center (FQHC) (primarily non-Title X funded) clinics in South Carolina and Alabama. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2017/18 that assessed clinic-level characteristics, policies, and practices related to contraceptive provision. Provision of different contraceptive methods was examined between clinic types. Survey items were mapped to the dimensions of access and internal consistency for each scale was tested with Cronbach's alpha. Scores of access were developed and differences by clinic type were evaluated with an independent t-test. The overall response rate was 68.3% and the sample included 235 clinics. HDs (96.9%) were significantly more likely to provide IUDs and/or Impants on-site than FQHCs (37.4%) (P < 0.0001). Scales with the highest consistency were Availability: Clinical Policy (24 items) (alpha = 0.892) and Acceptability (43 items) (alpha = 0.834). HDs had higher access scores than FQHCs for the Availability: Clinical Policy scale (0.58, 95% CL 0.55, 0.61) vs (0.29, 95% CL 0.25, 0.33) and Affordability: Administrative Policy scale (0.86, 95% CL 0.83, 0.90) vs (0.47, 95% CL 0.41, 0.53). FQHCs had higher access scores than HDs for Affordability: Insurance Policy (0.78, 95% CL 0.72, 0.84) vs (0.56, 95% CL 0.53, 0.59). These findings highlight strengths and gaps in contraceptive care access. Future studies must examine the impact of each dimension of access on clinic-level contraceptive utilization.

Background: Guideline-concordant therapies for survivors of an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) hospitalization require healthcare access, something that millions of Americans lack. Methods and Results: Using data from a prospective cohort study of over 2,000 survivors of a hospitalization for an ACS in central Massachusetts and Georgia from 2011 to 2013, the first two aims of this thesis sought to identify the post-discharge consequences for survival and health status of having: 1) financial barriers to healthcare, 2) no usual source of care, and 3) transportation barriers. We found that patients lacking a usual source of care and having a transportation barrier were more likely to have died within two years following hospital discharge compared to those without such barriers. Also, patients with financial barriers to healthcare were more likely to experience clinically meaningful declines in physical and mental health-related quality of life over the six months after hospital discharge. The third aim sought to better understand factors influencing the success of care transitions home after an unplanned hospitalization through a qualitative study of 22 patients. Participants described how adequate healthcare access, particularly having insurance and transportation to clinical appointments, facilitated the receipt of follow-up care and adherence to treatments. Conclusions: Limitations in healthcare access may contribute to poorer survival, health-related quality of life, and survival. Additional research is needed to identify interventions to improve healthcare access and test whether improved access leads to better patient outcomes.

Background: Digital primary care is expanding rapidly in Sweden and access is unevenly distributed and affected by socioeconomic status (SES) and digital exclusion. The COVID-19 pandemic further highlighted this problem as digital care removes risk of infection. Research is lacking on digital visits by traditional health care providers (HCP) during the COVID-19 pandemic and a risk exists that socially vulnerable groups are multiple afflicted by the current situation and that health policy goals are not achieved. Objectives: To investigate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on digital visits by traditional HCP, the distribution of visits and correlations to SES in Malmö municipality. Method: Ecological retrospective observational cross-sectional study with comparisons between the years 2020 and 2021. Descriptive analysis of changes between the years and distribution of visits and logistic regression for the correlation to Care Need Index (CNI) as a proxy for SES. Results: Physical visits decreased more than digital visits increased. Privately operated HCP and HCP in areas with higher income better compensated the decrease of physical visits with digital visits. There were major differences between HCP in use of digital visits and high CNI and private operation negatively affected this. Conclusion: Among traditional HCP in Malmö municipality the COVID-19 pandemic may have increased digital visits and the access was unevenly distributed. This risks increased inequality in health and not achieving set health policy goals. Further studies and efforts are needed to achieve a digital primary care with equal access and patient’s autonomy, participation, and empowerment in focus. / <p>Betyg i Ladok 220617.</p>

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Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) provide essential contraceptive services to low-income individuals; yet, access to all method options, notably intrauterine devices (IUDs) and implants, may be limited at non-Title X FQHCs. The South Carolina (SC) Choose Well initiative is a statewide contraceptive access initiative that was launched in 2017 and extends into 2022. Choose Well established a collaborative network between training and clinical partners and is aimed at facilitating implementation of contraceptive care best practices through capacity-building and training of clinical and administrative staff in partner organizations. The initiative provided funding for workforce expansion and contraceptive methods. We examined perceptions of staff from Choose Well-participating FQHCs regarding contraceptive access during the first 2 years of the initiative, including factors that facilitated or posed access challenges as well as sustaining factors. This study informs the process evaluation of Choose Well while providing data critical for uncovering and scaling up contraceptive access initiatives. Interviews were conducted with FQHC staff ( = 34) in 2018 and 2019 to assess Choose Well implementation and were recorded, transcribed, and double-coded at least 80% interrater reliability or consensus coding. Data were analyzed according to clinical and administrative factors influencing contraceptive access. Increased capacity for contraceptive counseling and provision through training and external funding for IUDs and implants were the most noted clinical factors facilitating access. Streamlining workflow processes was also a facilitator. Buy-in and engagement among staff and leadership emerged as a facilitator at some clinics and as a barrier at others. Policy/structural factors related to costs of devices and insurance coverage were identified as threats to sustainability. The Choose Well initiative contributed to the perception of an increase in contraceptive access at participating FQHCs in SC. Statewide contraceptive access initiatives have the potential to support FQHCs in meeting their clients' contraceptive needs. Organizational buy-in, sustainability of funding, and training are key to realizing the full potential of these initiatives.

The purpose of this dissertation research was to explore indications of disparities within the east Central Florida child and adolescent healthcare services market. Structured as a follow-up study to work completed in 2005 under the direction of the Health Council of East Central Florida assessing parental perceptions of community child and adolescent healthcare services, this research extended that evaluation by aggregating participant responses at the county and small area zip code group levels, contextually testing the uniformity of responses in understanding parent perceptions of access to, and satisfaction with, community healthcare service offerings available for children and adolescents. Under a variety of methodologies significance in the responses concerning access to healthcare services were demonstrated between the counties studied. Statistical modeling, however, could not demonstrate the core demographic differences among these data. Data representing perceptions of satisfaction with the services received by children and adolescents were demonstrated at the small area zip code group level within Orange county. Primary effect assessment of the demographic variables representing these respondents yielded findings generally consistent with theoretical expectations of disparity but, notably, the correlation effects between a number of key independent variables demonstrated a mediation of the primary effects on overall perception of satisfaction. Specifically, it was demonstrated that the interaction of white race with possession of private healthcare insurance, and the iv interaction of greater levels of educational attainment with black race, caused a proportional reduction in the predicted satisfaction score of these survey respondent cohorts. Further research specific to these phenomenon encompassing a clearer understanding of the type of care received and the individual’s specific experiences with their healthcare providers was recommended, with ensuing research to better identify commonalities of interactions with specific area providers, local restrictions imposed by area insurance carriers, influences caused by language and/or cultural barriers, and the like as drivers in understanding the individual dynamics of satisfaction.

No description available.