Abstract
Background: There is a growing interest in redesigning healthcare systems to increase access to and coordination across care settings for people with chronic conditions. We aim to promote patient-centredness by gaining a better understanding of the barriers faced by (1) children with chronic bronchial asthma, (2) adults with non-specific chronic back pain, and (3) older people with pre-existing mental illness/es while addressing the problem of fragmentation in Austria’s healthcare system.Methods: Using a qualitative design, we conducted semi-structured interviews face-to-face and by telephone with health service providers, researchers, experts by experience (e.g., patient advocates, family members/carers), and employees in public health administration between July and October 2019. The analysis and interpretation of data were guided by Levesque’s model of access, a conceptual framework used to evaluate access broadly according to five dimensions of accessibility to care: approachability, acceptability, availability and accommodation, affordability, and appropriateness.Results: The findings from the 25 expert interviews were organised within Levesque’s conceptual framework in four dimensions of barriers. They highlight the lack of coordination and defined patient pathways, particularly at the onset of the condition, when seeking a diagnosis, but also later on. Barriers related to issues such as geography (e.g., longer distances and travel times as well as fewer healthcare services in remote rural regions), coordination of care (e.g., structural barriers and inconsistent care pathways), socioeconomic status (e.g., the ability to pay for healthcare services but also basic health literacy), and comorbidity (e.g., consideration of the patients’ state of mental health and holistic therapy approaches).Conclusions: Barriers to healthcare access are of particular concern for patients with chronic conditions, resulting in an urgent need to improve health services according to patients’ specific needs. For health services to be properly accessible, timely and integrated care independent of social and economic resources, continuity of care, and significant improvements in patient-centred communication and coordination of care are paramount. This study has important implications for policy and practice as it highlights provider, expert, and researcher perspectives on access to the healthcare system in Austria and offers a broader look at the changes required by stakeholders in the future.
Visualizing the Invisible: Invisible Waste in Diagnostic Imaging
