Access to Healthcare Following Serious Injury: Perspectives of Allied Health Professionals in Urban and Regional Settings

Abstract

Barriers to accessing healthcare exist following serious injury. These issues are not well understood and may have dire consequences for healthcare utilisation and patients’ long-term recovery. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore factors perceived by allied health professionals to affect access to healthcare beyond hospital discharge for people with serious injuries in urban and regional Victoria, Australia. Twenty-five semi-structured interviews were conducted with community-based allied health professionals involved in post-discharge care for people following serious injury across different urban and regional areas. Interview transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis. Many allied health professionals perceived that complex funding systems and health services restrict access in both urban and regional areas. Limited availability of necessary health professionals was consistently reported, which particularly restricted access to mental healthcare. Access to healthcare was also felt to be hindered by a reliance on others for transportation, costs, emotional stress and often lengthy time of travel. Across urban and regional areas, a number of factors limit access to healthcare. Better understanding of health service delivery models and areas for change, including the use of technology and telehealth, may improve equitable access to healthcare.

Healthcare Providers’ Perceptions of Potentially Preventable Rural Hospitalisations: A Qualitative Study

“…The interplay of health literacy and access themes developed in this study is similar in complexity and interconnectedness to those identified in other research studies among rural healthcare providers [ 11 , 17 , 43 , 51 ]. Any potential improvement, service redesign, and policy changes aimed at reducing PPHs will require consideration of the views of both patient and provider.…”

“…Deficiencies in other dimensions of ‘access to care’ (viz. geographic accessibility, organisational accommodation, affordability, and acceptability) were considered to increase the risk of PPHs in rural populations in this and other studies [ 50 , 51 ]. The disparate healthcare needs of rural populations may be better served by focussing improvements on the ‘non-supply’ dimensions of healthcare access.…”

Healthcare services for people with acquired disability in South-East Queensland, Australia: Assessing potential proximity and its association with service obstacles

“…2 , Fig. 3 ) ( Keeves et al, 2021 ). Although the urban centralisation of medical specialist services is necessary ( Lawrence & Fudge, 2009 ), it has the potential to be problematic for suburban people with complex rehabilitation needs, who require regular and timely access to these services ( Solovieva & Walls, 2014 ).…”

Exploring the patient experience of telehealth hand therapy services during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Previous telehealth research, both pre-dating and published since the advent of the pandemic, has typically focused on the experience of healthcare workers who deliver telehealth to a range of patient groups. 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 Where the client experience has been explored, this has usually been in the context of healthcare delivery to rural and remote areas. 8 , 11 This paper provides a useful addition to the telehealth literature, particularly in the area of hand therapy.…”