Accessing hemodialysis clinics during the COVID-19 pandemic
Transportation is a key element of access to healthcare. The COVID-19 pandemic posed unique and unforeseen challenges to patients receiving hemodialysis who rely on three times weekly transportation to receive their life-saving treatments, but there is little data on the problems they faced. This st...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2022-03-01
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| Series: | Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590198221002384 |
| _version_ | 1818995647060115456 |
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| author | Matthew Beaudet Léa Ravensbergen James DeWeese William Beaubien-Souligny Annie-Claire Nadeau-Fredette Norka Rios Marie-Line Caron Rita S. Suri Ahmed El-Geneidy |
| author_facet | Matthew Beaudet Léa Ravensbergen James DeWeese William Beaubien-Souligny Annie-Claire Nadeau-Fredette Norka Rios Marie-Line Caron Rita S. Suri Ahmed El-Geneidy |
| author_sort | Matthew Beaudet |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Transportation is a key element of access to healthcare. The COVID-19 pandemic posed unique and unforeseen challenges to patients receiving hemodialysis who rely on three times weekly transportation to receive their life-saving treatments, but there is little data on the problems they faced. This study explores the attitudes, fears, and concerns of hemodialysis patients during the pandemic with a focus on their travel to/from dialysis treatments. A mixed methods travel survey was distributed to hemodialysis patients from three urban centers in Montréal, Canada, during the pandemic (n = 43). The survey included closed questions that were analysed through descriptive statistics as well as open-ended questions that were assessed through thematic analysis. Descriptive statistics show that hemodialysis patients are more fearful of contracting COVID-19 in transit than they are at the treatment center. Patients taking paratransit, public transportation, and taxis are more fearful of COVID-19 while traveling than those who drive, who are driven, or who walk to the clinic. In the open-ended questions, patients reported struggling with confusing COVID-19 protocols in public transport, including conflicting information on whether paratransit taxis allowed one or multiple passengers. Paratransit was the most used travel mode to access treatment (n = 30), with problems identified in the open-ended questions, such as long and unreliable pickup windows, and extended travel times. To limit COVID-19 exposure and stress for paratransit users, agencies should consider sitting one patient per paratransit taxi, clearly communicating COVID-19 protocols online and in the vehicles, and tracking vehicles for more efficient pickups. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T21:17:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-675c5c3a9ba7434798a0b57065d5a12a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2590-1982 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T21:17:10Z |
| publishDate | 2022-03-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives |
| spelling | doaj.art-675c5c3a9ba7434798a0b57065d5a12a2022-12-21T19:26:23ZengElsevierTransportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives2590-19822022-03-0113100533Accessing hemodialysis clinics during the COVID-19 pandemicMatthew Beaudet0Léa Ravensbergen1James DeWeese2William Beaubien-Souligny3Annie-Claire Nadeau-Fredette4Norka Rios5Marie-Line Caron6Rita S. Suri7Ahmed El-Geneidy8School of Urban Planning, McGill University, CanadaSchool of Urban Planning, McGill University, Canada; Corresponding author at: School of Urban Planning, McGill University, Macdonald-Harrington Building, 815 Sherbrooke St W, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2K6, Canada.School of Urban Planning, McGill University, CanadaSection of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal, Université de Montréal, CanadaDivision of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont, Université de Montréal, CanadaResearch Institute of the McGill University Health Center, CanadaCentre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal, CanadaDivision of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, McGill University, CanadaSchool of Urban Planning, McGill University, CanadaTransportation is a key element of access to healthcare. The COVID-19 pandemic posed unique and unforeseen challenges to patients receiving hemodialysis who rely on three times weekly transportation to receive their life-saving treatments, but there is little data on the problems they faced. This study explores the attitudes, fears, and concerns of hemodialysis patients during the pandemic with a focus on their travel to/from dialysis treatments. A mixed methods travel survey was distributed to hemodialysis patients from three urban centers in Montréal, Canada, during the pandemic (n = 43). The survey included closed questions that were analysed through descriptive statistics as well as open-ended questions that were assessed through thematic analysis. Descriptive statistics show that hemodialysis patients are more fearful of contracting COVID-19 in transit than they are at the treatment center. Patients taking paratransit, public transportation, and taxis are more fearful of COVID-19 while traveling than those who drive, who are driven, or who walk to the clinic. In the open-ended questions, patients reported struggling with confusing COVID-19 protocols in public transport, including conflicting information on whether paratransit taxis allowed one or multiple passengers. Paratransit was the most used travel mode to access treatment (n = 30), with problems identified in the open-ended questions, such as long and unreliable pickup windows, and extended travel times. To limit COVID-19 exposure and stress for paratransit users, agencies should consider sitting one patient per paratransit taxi, clearly communicating COVID-19 protocols online and in the vehicles, and tracking vehicles for more efficient pickups.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590198221002384HemodialysisAccess to careCOVID-19TransportationParatransit |
| spellingShingle | Matthew Beaudet Léa Ravensbergen James DeWeese William Beaubien-Souligny Annie-Claire Nadeau-Fredette Norka Rios Marie-Line Caron Rita S. Suri Ahmed El-Geneidy Accessing hemodialysis clinics during the COVID-19 pandemic Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives Hemodialysis Access to care COVID-19 Transportation Paratransit |
| title | Accessing hemodialysis clinics during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full | Accessing hemodialysis clinics during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_fullStr | Accessing hemodialysis clinics during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full_unstemmed | Accessing hemodialysis clinics during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_short | Accessing hemodialysis clinics during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_sort | accessing hemodialysis clinics during the covid 19 pandemic |
| topic | Hemodialysis Access to care COVID-19 Transportation Paratransit |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590198221002384 |
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