Risk Management and Healthcare Policy (Sep 2021)
Accessing Healthcare Services for People with Physical Disabilities in Hawassa City Administration, Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study
Abstract
Tagel Tesfaye,1 Endrias Markos Woldesemayat,2 Nana Chea,2 Demelash Wachamo3 1Department of Public Health, Adare General Hospital, Hawassa, Sidama Regional State, Ethiopia; 2School of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Sidama Regional State, Ethiopia; 3Department of Public Health, Hawassa College of Health Sciences, Hawassa, Sidama Regional State, EthiopiaCorrespondence: Demelash WachamoDepartment of Public Health, Hawassa College of Health Sciences, Hawassa, Sidama Regional State, EthiopiaTel +251 91 686 6654Email [email protected]: Persons with disabilities experience significant barriers to accessing health care. These barriers may be more serious in countries such as Ethiopia. In this study, we aimed to assess the prevalence of accessibility and associated factors among physically disabled people visiting physical disability associations in Hawassa.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 345 randomly selected physically disabled people who visited disability associations in Hawassa. Data were collected from February 1 to 28, 2020 through face-to-face interview using a semi-structured questionnaire. Data analysis was done by SPSS version 23. Statistically significant test was declared using statistical cut-off point of P-value < 0.05.Results: Accessibility to healthcare services among respondents was 83 (25.4%). About three-quarters of these respondents (74.6%) experienced at least one access barrier to healthcare services; 61.5% experienced physical barriers, 62.7% reported barriers related to medical equipment and 59.3% had communication barriers. Male participants (AOR = 3.19, 95% CI: 1.70, 6.99), married individuals (AOR = 2.95, 95% CI: 1.59, 5.49), people whose costs for healthcare services was covered by NGOs (AOR = 3.23, 95% CI: 1.39, 7.51) and participants with no experience of discrimination when accessing healthcare services (AOR = 5.84, 95% CI: 3, 11, 10.95) had more access to healthcare services.Conclusion: Accessibility to healthcare services among people with disabilities was poor in the study. It is related with various factors. Therefore, it is important to strengthen inter-sectoral collaboration, promote community health insurance and strengthen the economic capacity of persons with physical disabilities in order to overcome barriers.Keywords: physical disability, healthcare service, access, barriers
