Enablers and Barriers of Accessing Health Care Services among Older Adults in South-East Asia: A Scoping Review

Nurul Syuhada Mohd Rosnu, Devinder Kaur Ajit Singh, Arimi Fitri Mat Ludin, Wan Syafira Ishak, Mohd Harimi Abd Rahman and Suzana Shahar
Additional contact information
Nurul Syuhada Mohd Rosnu: Centre for Healthy Ageing and Wellness (H-Care), Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 50300, Malaysia
Devinder Kaur Ajit Singh: Centre for Healthy Ageing and Wellness (H-Care), Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 50300, Malaysia
Arimi Fitri Mat Ludin: Centre for Healthy Ageing and Wellness (H-Care), Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 50300, Malaysia
Wan Syafira Ishak: Centre for Healthy Ageing and Wellness (H-Care), Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 50300, Malaysia
Mohd Harimi Abd Rahman: Optometry and Vision Sciences Programme, Center for Rehabilitation and Special Needs, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 50300, Malaysia
Suzana Shahar: Centre for Healthy Ageing and Wellness (H-Care), Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 50300, Malaysia

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 12, 1-15

Abstract: South-East Asia (SEA) is the home of the largest number of the world’s older population. In this scoping review, we aimed to map the existing enablers and barriers of accessing healthcare services among older adults in SEA countries. Articles that were published from January 2001 until November 2021 were searched in four data sources (PubMed, Web of Science, EBSCO Host and The Cochrane Library). Studies pertaining to the factors which assist or obstruct older Southeast Asian adults from assessing healthcare services were chosen for this scoping review. First, two reviewers screened the titles and abstracts of articles in the data sources. After identifying appropriate articles, the reviewers read them. Data extracted by one reviewer were verified by the other reviewer. The findings were then classified according to Penchansky and Thomas’s five domains of access. A total of 19 studies were included in the final scoping review. Accessibility and acceptability were the two factors most often identified as enablers or barriers to older adults from accessing healthcare. Other often mentioned factors were finances, transportation and social/family support. Older adults living in rural areas were especially impacted by these factors. To promote healthy ageing, optimum healthcare and wellbeing among older adults in Southeast Asia, it is extremely important to consider accessibility and acceptability when planning healthcare services.

Keywords: accessibility; enablers; barriers; healthcare; older adults; South-East Asia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/12/7351/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/12/7351/ (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:19:y:2022:i:12:p:7351-:d:839597

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 ().