‘I don’t think anybody explained to me how it works’: qualitative study exploring vaccination and primary health service access and uptake amongst Polish and Romanian communities in England

ObjectivesThis study explored vaccination attitudes and behaviours among Polish and Romanian communities, and related access to primary healthcare services.DesignA qualitative study using in-depth semistructured interviews with Polish and Romanian community members (CMs) and healthcare workers (HCWs) involved in vaccination in areas with large Polish and Romanian communities. CMs discussed their vaccination attitudes and their experiences of accessing vaccinations in England. HCWs shared their experiences in vaccinating Polish and Romanian communities.SettingRecruitment focused on three geographical areas in England with large Polish and Romanian populations (in London, Lincolnshire and Berkshire).Participants20 Polish and 10 Romanian CMs, and 20 HCWs. Most CMs were mothers or pregnant women and were recruited from London or Lincolnshire. HCWs included practice nurses, health visitors and school nurses recruited from the targeted geographical areas.ResultsAlthough most CMs reported vaccinating according to the UK schedule, obstacles to vaccination were highlighted. CMs experienced difficulties navigating and trusting the English primary healthcare system, and challenges in accessing credible vaccination information in Polish and Romanian. CM vaccination expectations, largely built on knowledge and experiences from Poland and Romania, were often unmet. This was driven by differences in vaccination scheduling and service provision in England, such as nurses delivering vaccines instead of doctors. CMs reported lower acceptance of the influenza vaccine, largely due to perceptions around the importance and efficacy of this vaccine. HCWs reported challenges translating and understanding vaccination histories, overcoming verbal communication barriers and ensuring vaccination schedule completeness among families travelling between England and Poland or Romania.ConclusionsThis study identified vaccination uptake and delivery issues and recommendations for improvement. HCWs should discuss health service expectations, highlight differences in vaccination scheduling and delivery between countries, and promote greater understanding of the English primary healthcare system in order to encourage vaccination in these communities.

Download Full-text

A benchmark qualitative study of health service delivery in Botswana in 1989: Nurse assessments of the primary healthcare system before the nationwide spread of HIV/AIDS

Journal of AIDS and HIV Research ◽

10.5897/jahr2015.0363 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 6-11 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

G Linn James ◽

Rose Wilson Debra ◽

T Fako Thabo

Keyword(s):

Health Service ◽

Qualitative Study ◽

Service Delivery ◽

Healthcare System ◽

Primary Healthcare ◽

Health Service Delivery ◽

Hiv Aids

Download Full-text

It makes you realise your own mortality: A qualitative study on mental health of older adults in the UK during COVID-19

10.1101/2020.12.15.20248238 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Alison Ruth McKinlay ◽

Daisy Fancourt ◽

Alexandra Burton

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Older Adults ◽

Qualitative Study ◽

Life Experience ◽

Service Access ◽

Grief And Loss ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Health Service Access ◽

Health Complications ◽

The Uk

Background: Older adults have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19, with high fatalities and health complications reported. Adults over the age of 70 in the UK were advised to self-isolate for 3 months early during the pandemic and it is unclear which factors influenced their experiences during this time. Objective: The aim of this qualitative study was to explore factors that threatened and protected the wellbeing of older adults living in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: We undertook semi-structured interviews with 20 adults aged over 70. Purposive sampling methods were used to increase diversity within the group. Transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Participants were aged 72-93, 9 women and 11 men, 80% were White British, 40% lived alone. We identified 2 superordinate themes, including (1) Threats to wellbeing: mortality concerns, grief and loss of normal life, restricted health service access, COVID-19 concerns, and restricted access to activities that protect wellbeing. (2) Factors protective of wellbeing: slower pace of life, maintaining routine, socialising, and use of past coping skills. Many participants drew on their resilience and life experience to self-manage fear and uncertainty associated with the pandemic, using their time during lockdown to reflect or organise end-of-life affairs. Conclusions: This study provides evidence that while older adults experienced challenges, many were resilient against COVID-19 restrictions despite early concerns of mental health consequences. Our findings highlight the importance of maintaining access to essentials to promote feelings of normality and social support to help reduce uncertainty in times of pandemics.

Download Full-text

Refugee and Immigrant Community Health Champions: a Qualitative Study of Perceived Barriers to Service Access and Utilisation of the National Health Service (NHS) in the West Midlands, UK

Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health ◽

10.1007/s10903-021-01233-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Oliver Mudyarabikwa ◽

Krishna Regmi ◽

Sinead Ouillon ◽

Raymond Simmonds

Keyword(s):

Community Health ◽

Primary Healthcare ◽

Healthcare Services ◽

Service Access ◽

Immigrant Community ◽

The West ◽

Healthcare Needs ◽

West Midlands ◽

Barriers To Service ◽

The Uk

AbstractThere has been much discussion recently that better healthcare systems lead to increased service access and utilisation. However, there are still concerns raised among the refugee and immigrant communities about barriers to access and utilisation of primary healthcare services in the UK. This study aimed to explore with refugee and immigrant community health champions (CHCs) their perceptions about such barriers based on feedback in their own discussions with fellow refugees, asylum-seekers and immigrants in the West Midlands, UK. A total of 42 refugees and immigrants were recruited. Qualitative design-focused group discussions were conducted among purposively selected participants. These discussions were conducted between May and September 2019, and data were analysed using thematic analysis. The barriers to service access and utilisation are categorised into four themes: (i) knowledge about health issues that most affected refugees and immigrants; (ii) community indications of factors that obstructed service access; (iii) challenges in identifying local teams involved in service provision; and (iv) accurate knowledge about the different teams and their roles in facilitating access. This study higlighted that the levels of service access and utilisation would depend on the competence and effectiveness of the health system. Urgency and seriousness of individuals’ healthcare needs were the factors that were perceived to strongly influence refugees and immigrants to seek and utilise local services. We identified a number of potential barriers and challenges to service access and utilisation that should be overcome if primary healthcare service is to be planned and delivered effectively, efficiently and equitably in the West Midlands.

Download Full-text

Dietary habits, body image, and health service access related to cardiovascular diseases in rural Zambia: A qualitative study

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0212739 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 14 (2) ◽

pp. e0212739 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Yukiko Tateyama ◽

Patou Masika Musumari ◽

Teeranee Techasrivichien ◽

S. Pilar Suguimoto ◽

Richard Zulu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Body Image ◽

Cardiovascular Diseases ◽

Health Service ◽

Qualitative Study ◽

Dietary Habits ◽

Service Access ◽

Health Service Access ◽

Rural Zambia

Download Full-text

Health service access and utilisation amongst culturally and linguistically diverse populations in regional South Australia: a qualitative study

Rural and Remote Health ◽

10.22605/rrh5694 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Sara Javanparast ◽

Syed Kashif Abbas Naqvi ◽

Lillian Mwanri

Keyword(s):

Health Service ◽

Qualitative Study ◽

South Australia ◽

Linguistically Diverse ◽

Culturally And Linguistically Diverse ◽

Service Access ◽

Diverse Populations ◽

Health Service Access

Download Full-text

Sexually Transmitted Infection Risk and Health Service Access among Men Having Sex with Men in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: A qualitative study

10.21203/rs.2.11146/v1 ◽

2019 ◽

Keyword(s):

Health Service ◽

Qualitative Study ◽

Sexually Transmitted Infection ◽

Addis Ababa ◽

Infection Risk ◽

Service Access ◽

Transmitted Infection ◽

Sexually Transmitted ◽

Health Service Access ◽

Sex With Men

Abstract The authors have removed this preprint from Research Square.

Download Full-text

Caregivers’ and healthcare professionals’ perspective of barriers and facilitators to health service access for asthmatic children: a qualitative study

BMJ Open Respiratory Research ◽

10.1136/bmjresp-2021-001066 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. e001066

Author(s):

Cristina Ardura-Garcia ◽

John D Blakey ◽

Philip J Cooper ◽

Natalia Romero-Sandoval

Keyword(s):

Side Effects ◽

Health Service ◽

Healthcare Professionals ◽

Healthcare Services ◽

Barriers And Facilitators ◽

Service Access ◽

Asthma Care ◽

Health Service Access ◽

Asthmatic Children ◽

Resource Setting

BackgroundThere is a high burden of asthma morbidity and mortality in Latin America. It has been proposed that this relates to limited access to diagnostic tests, asthma medications and specialised doctors. However, little is known of what caregivers of asthmatic children and healthcare professionals (HCPs) perceive as barriers and facilitators to adequate care. We aimed to explore the barriers and facilitators to asthma care access from caregivers’ and HCP’s perspective in an Ecuadorian low-resource setting.MethodsIn 2017, we conducted 5 focus group discussions (FGD) with 20 caregivers of asthmatic children and 12 in-depth interviews with 3 paediatricians, 6 general doctors and 3 respiratory therapists in Esmeraldas city, Ecuador. FGDs and interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed, open-coded in QDA Miner, categorised using an interpretative phenomenological approach and analysed thematically. Barriers and facilitators were classified into availability, accessibility, acceptability and contact of healthcare services, based on Tanahashi model of health service access.ResultsLimited resources, use of alternative medicines, fear of medication side-effects and lack of specific training for doctors and knowledge in families were common barriers for both caregivers and HCPs. Caregivers and HCPs proposed the implementation of public health asthma-focused programmes that would include close community-based follow-up of people with asthma, educational sessions for their families and public engagement activities. HCPs also suggested implementing training programmes on asthma management for general doctors.ConclusionMultiple barriers identified by caregivers and HCPs referred to economic and health service organisational issues, fear of side effects of medication or ineffective self-management. Increasing caregivers and HCPs’ asthma knowledge, as well as HCPs’ communication skills to establish a patient-centred approach with a shared decision-making process could improve asthma care in this setting.

Download Full-text