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

Jemma Keeves, Sandra C. Braaf, Christina L. Ekegren, Ben Beck and Belinda J. Gabbe
Additional contact information
Jemma Keeves: Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne 3004, Australia
Sandra C. Braaf: Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne 3004, Australia
Christina L. Ekegren: Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne 3004, Australia
Ben Beck: Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne 3004, Australia
Belinda J. Gabbe: Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne 3004, Australia

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 3, 1-15

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.

Keywords: health services accessibility; delivery of healthcare; geography; allied health; wounds and injuries; qualitative research; rural population; urban population (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/3/1230/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/3/1230/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:3:p:1230-:d:489746

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().