Bridging Inequity Gaps in Healthcare Systems While Educating Future Healthcare Professionals—The Social Health Bridge-Building Programme

Gitte Valentin (), Claus Vinther Nielsen, Anne-Sofie Meldgaard Nielsen, Merete Tonnesen, Kristina Louise Bliksted, Katrine Tranberg Jensen, Karen Ingerslev, Thomas Maribo and Lisa Gregersen Oestergaard
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Gitte Valentin: DEFACTUM, Central Denmark Region, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
Claus Vinther Nielsen: DEFACTUM, Central Denmark Region, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
Anne-Sofie Meldgaard Nielsen: DEFACTUM, Central Denmark Region, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
Merete Tonnesen: DEFACTUM, Central Denmark Region, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
Kristina Louise Bliksted: Social Sundhed (Social Health), 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
Katrine Tranberg Jensen: Social Sundhed (Social Health), 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
Karen Ingerslev: Social Sundhed (Social Health), 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
Thomas Maribo: DEFACTUM, Central Denmark Region, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
Lisa Gregersen Oestergaard: DEFACTUM, Central Denmark Region, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 19, 1-17

Abstract: Social inequity in healthcare persists even in countries with universal healthcare. The Social Health Bridge-Building Programme aims to reduce healthcare inequities. This paper provides a detailed description of the programme. The Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) was used to structure the description. The programme theory was outlined using elements from the British Medical Research Council’s framework, including identifying barriers to healthcare, synthesising evidence, describing the theoretical framework, creating a logic model, and engaging stakeholders. In the Social Health Bridge-Building Programme, student volunteers accompany individuals to healthcare appointments and provide social support before, during, and after the visit. The programme is rooted in a recovery-oriented approach, emphasising personal resources and hope. The programme finds support in constructs within the health literacy framework. Student volunteers serve as health literacy mediators, supporting individuals in navigating the healthcare system while gaining knowledge and skills. This equips students for their forthcoming roles as healthcare professionals, and potentially empowers them to develop and implement egalitarian initiatives within the healthcare system, including initiatives that promote organisational health literacy responsiveness. The Social Health Bridge-Building Programme is a promising initiative that aims to improve equity in healthcare by addressing individual, social, and systemic barriers to healthcare. The programme’s description will guide forthcoming evaluations of its impact.

Keywords: inequity; inequality; deprivation; healthcare; student volunteer; complex intervention; programme theory (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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