Journal of Health Science and Medical Research (JHSMR) (Mar 2020)

Perceived Barrier in Accessing Emergency Medical Services of Ethnic Groups in the Highlands of Chiang Rai Province, Thailand

  • Songwut Sungbun,
  • Thitiarpha Tangkawanich,
  • Orruethai Thanakumma,
  • Alongkorn Sukrueangkul

DOI
https://doi.org/10.31584/jhsmr.2020731
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 38, no. 2
pp. 125 – 133

Abstract

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Objective: To explore the barriers of accessing emergency medical services among several ethnic groups, including the Hmong, Lisu, Lahu and Akha people. Material and Methods: The qualitative study was conducted to interview 43 participants, including the Akha, Lahu, Lisu and Hmong people. Purposive sampling was used to select participants for in-depth interviews, from February to March, 2019. The data were analyzed using content analysis. Results: The results show that the barriers of using emergency medical service (EMS) can be divided into the following five categories: the barrier to effectively communication, response to the symptoms of emergency illnesses, transportation facilities to support patients with emergency illnesses, fear to contact healthcare providers and the individual’s perception of emergency medical symptoms. Conclusion: The barriers of using EMS among different cultures, ethnicities and languages are a concern and obstacles to the increase appropriate pre-hospital management and reducing pre-hospital delay. A community collaboration partnership should be the goal of improving pre-hospital care among ethnic people.

Keywords