Exploring challenges of access to Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) prevention, treatment and care: A qualitative study on people living with NCDs (PLWNCDs) in West Bengal, India
BACKGROUND: People living with noncommunicable diseases (PLWNCDs) are often disproportionately affected due to adverse interaction with socioecological and biological factors. Hence, it is imperative to learn from their lived experience to gain a greater understanding of interactions as well as expl...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
2022-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Education and Health Promotion |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.jehp.net/article.asp?issn=2277-9531;year=2022;volume=11;issue=1;spage=251;epage=251;aulast=Biswas |
| _version_ | 1797998870942187520 |
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| author | Sutapa Biswas Debayan Podder Sweety Suman Jha Prachi Kathuria Bobby Paul |
| author_facet | Sutapa Biswas Debayan Podder Sweety Suman Jha Prachi Kathuria Bobby Paul |
| author_sort | Sutapa Biswas |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BACKGROUND: People living with noncommunicable diseases (PLWNCDs) are often disproportionately affected due to adverse interaction with socioecological and biological factors. Hence, it is imperative to learn from their lived experience to gain a greater understanding of interactions as well as explore their priorities and needs in accessing care and identify areas of priority action through multistakeholder engagement.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: The qualitative study with grounded theory approach was conducted between October and December 2020. An online key-informant interview with the health policymaker, virtual group discussion with eight PLWNCDs, and in-depth telephonic interviews with five PLWNCDs were conducted, after obtaining informed consent using interview guide, developed, and validated by the experts. Data collection continued till data saturation was achieved. Transcripts generated from the interview recordings were coded using hand-code technique and analyzed thematically.
RESULTS: Challenges faced by PLWNCDs in accessing care were lack of empathy and support from health-care professionals, stigma, financial hardship, and hospital overcrowding. Caregivers emphasized on the felt need to involve civil society organizations (CSOs) in raising awareness toward noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) at family, community, and policymaking levels. The need for home-based NCD care and rehabilitation centers was voiced by the PLWNCDs. Impediments toward effective implementation of NCD policies were adoption of a “top-down” approach, poor awareness about government health insurance schemes, skewed distribution of empanelled hospitals in and around cities, nonavailability of qualified health-care professionals in underserved areas, aggravated allocation-utilization disparity during COVID-19 pandemic, and lack of robust information technology infrastructure to support access to telemedicine services.
CONCLUSION: The collective role of governments, CSOs, and health-care providers, along with meaningful involvement of PLWNCDs, would help to create an enabling environment for overcoming the challenges of access to care and thus achieve universal health coverage. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T10:55:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a6bb4fa2003c472ca335815733ffa9fb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2277-9531 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T10:55:37Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Education and Health Promotion |
| spelling | doaj.art-a6bb4fa2003c472ca335815733ffa9fb2022-12-22T04:28:46ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsJournal of Education and Health Promotion2277-95312022-01-0111125125110.4103/jehp.jehp_1296_21Exploring challenges of access to Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) prevention, treatment and care: A qualitative study on people living with NCDs (PLWNCDs) in West Bengal, IndiaSutapa BiswasDebayan PodderSweety Suman JhaPrachi KathuriaBobby PaulBACKGROUND: People living with noncommunicable diseases (PLWNCDs) are often disproportionately affected due to adverse interaction with socioecological and biological factors. Hence, it is imperative to learn from their lived experience to gain a greater understanding of interactions as well as explore their priorities and needs in accessing care and identify areas of priority action through multistakeholder engagement. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The qualitative study with grounded theory approach was conducted between October and December 2020. An online key-informant interview with the health policymaker, virtual group discussion with eight PLWNCDs, and in-depth telephonic interviews with five PLWNCDs were conducted, after obtaining informed consent using interview guide, developed, and validated by the experts. Data collection continued till data saturation was achieved. Transcripts generated from the interview recordings were coded using hand-code technique and analyzed thematically. RESULTS: Challenges faced by PLWNCDs in accessing care were lack of empathy and support from health-care professionals, stigma, financial hardship, and hospital overcrowding. Caregivers emphasized on the felt need to involve civil society organizations (CSOs) in raising awareness toward noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) at family, community, and policymaking levels. The need for home-based NCD care and rehabilitation centers was voiced by the PLWNCDs. Impediments toward effective implementation of NCD policies were adoption of a “top-down” approach, poor awareness about government health insurance schemes, skewed distribution of empanelled hospitals in and around cities, nonavailability of qualified health-care professionals in underserved areas, aggravated allocation-utilization disparity during COVID-19 pandemic, and lack of robust information technology infrastructure to support access to telemedicine services. CONCLUSION: The collective role of governments, CSOs, and health-care providers, along with meaningful involvement of PLWNCDs, would help to create an enabling environment for overcoming the challenges of access to care and thus achieve universal health coverage.http://www.jehp.net/article.asp?issn=2277-9531;year=2022;volume=11;issue=1;spage=251;epage=251;aulast=Biswasgrounded theoryhealth services accessibilityindianoncommunicable diseasesqualitative research |
| spellingShingle | Sutapa Biswas Debayan Podder Sweety Suman Jha Prachi Kathuria Bobby Paul Exploring challenges of access to Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) prevention, treatment and care: A qualitative study on people living with NCDs (PLWNCDs) in West Bengal, India Journal of Education and Health Promotion grounded theory health services accessibility india noncommunicable diseases qualitative research |
| title | Exploring challenges of access to Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) prevention, treatment and care: A qualitative study on people living with NCDs (PLWNCDs) in West Bengal, India |
| title_full | Exploring challenges of access to Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) prevention, treatment and care: A qualitative study on people living with NCDs (PLWNCDs) in West Bengal, India |
| title_fullStr | Exploring challenges of access to Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) prevention, treatment and care: A qualitative study on people living with NCDs (PLWNCDs) in West Bengal, India |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring challenges of access to Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) prevention, treatment and care: A qualitative study on people living with NCDs (PLWNCDs) in West Bengal, India |
| title_short | Exploring challenges of access to Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) prevention, treatment and care: A qualitative study on people living with NCDs (PLWNCDs) in West Bengal, India |
| title_sort | exploring challenges of access to non communicable disease ncd prevention treatment and care a qualitative study on people living with ncds plwncds in west bengal india |
| topic | grounded theory health services accessibility india noncommunicable diseases qualitative research |
| url | http://www.jehp.net/article.asp?issn=2277-9531;year=2022;volume=11;issue=1;spage=251;epage=251;aulast=Biswas |
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