The ‘price signal’ for health care is loud and clear: A cross‐sectional study of self‐reported access to health care by disadvantaged Australians
Abstract Objective: To describe self‐reported inability to access health care and factors associated with lack of access among a socioeconomically disadvantaged group. Method: A cross‐sectional survey with 906 adult clients of a large community welfare agency in New South Wales. Clients attending th...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2016-04-01
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| Series: | Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1111/1753-6405.12405 |
| _version_ | 1797705669876383744 |
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| author | Christine Paul Billie Bonevski Laura Twyman Catherine D'Este Mohammad Siahpush Ashleigh Guillaumier Jamie Bryant Elizabeth Fradgley Kerrin Palazzi |
| author_facet | Christine Paul Billie Bonevski Laura Twyman Catherine D'Este Mohammad Siahpush Ashleigh Guillaumier Jamie Bryant Elizabeth Fradgley Kerrin Palazzi |
| author_sort | Christine Paul |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Objective: To describe self‐reported inability to access health care and factors associated with lack of access among a socioeconomically disadvantaged group. Method: A cross‐sectional survey with 906 adult clients of a large community welfare agency in New South Wales. Clients attending the service for emergency assistance completed a touchscreen survey. Results: Inability to access health care in the prior year was reported by more than one‐third of the sample (38%), compared to the 5% found for the general population. Dentists (47%), specialists (43%) or GPs (29%) were the least accessible types of health care. The main reason for inability to access health care was cost, accounting for 60% of responses. Almost half (47%) the sample reported delayed or non‐use of medicines due to cost. Increasing financial stress was associated with increased inability to access GP or specialist care, medicines and imaging. Higher anxiety scores were associated with inability to access health care, and with cost‐related inability to access medicines and imaging. Conclusion: For disadvantaged groups, cost‐related barriers to accessing care are prominent and are disproportionately high – particularly regarding dentistry, specialist and GP care. Implications: Improvements in health outcomes for disadvantaged groups are likely to require strategies to reduce cost‐related barriers to health care. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T05:40:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a95958ee97ae4b7b9a177c36c4f42ebb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1326-0200 1753-6405 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T05:40:46Z |
| publishDate | 2016-04-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-a95958ee97ae4b7b9a177c36c4f42ebb2023-09-03T06:09:10ZengElsevierAustralian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health1326-02001753-64052016-04-0140213213710.1111/1753-6405.12405The ‘price signal’ for health care is loud and clear: A cross‐sectional study of self‐reported access to health care by disadvantaged AustraliansChristine Paul0Billie Bonevski1Laura Twyman2Catherine D'Este3Mohammad Siahpush4Ashleigh Guillaumier5Jamie Bryant6Elizabeth Fradgley7Kerrin Palazzi8Priority Research Centre in Health Behaviour School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle New South WalesSchool of Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Health University of Newcastle New South WalesSchool of Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Health University of Newcastle New South WalesResearch School of Population Health, National Centre for Epidemiology & Population Health Australian National University Australian Capital TerritoryDepartment of Health Promotion, Social & Behavioral Health University of Nebraska Medical Centre United StatesSchool of Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Health University of Newcastle New South WalesPriority Research Centre in Health Behaviour School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle New South WalesPriority Research Centre in Health Behaviour School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle New South WalesHunter Medical Research Institute New South WalesAbstract Objective: To describe self‐reported inability to access health care and factors associated with lack of access among a socioeconomically disadvantaged group. Method: A cross‐sectional survey with 906 adult clients of a large community welfare agency in New South Wales. Clients attending the service for emergency assistance completed a touchscreen survey. Results: Inability to access health care in the prior year was reported by more than one‐third of the sample (38%), compared to the 5% found for the general population. Dentists (47%), specialists (43%) or GPs (29%) were the least accessible types of health care. The main reason for inability to access health care was cost, accounting for 60% of responses. Almost half (47%) the sample reported delayed or non‐use of medicines due to cost. Increasing financial stress was associated with increased inability to access GP or specialist care, medicines and imaging. Higher anxiety scores were associated with inability to access health care, and with cost‐related inability to access medicines and imaging. Conclusion: For disadvantaged groups, cost‐related barriers to accessing care are prominent and are disproportionately high – particularly regarding dentistry, specialist and GP care. Implications: Improvements in health outcomes for disadvantaged groups are likely to require strategies to reduce cost‐related barriers to health care.https://doi.org/10.1111/1753-6405.12405cost of illnessunderserved populationssocioeconomically disadvantaged groupshealth services accessibilityoutpatient care |
| spellingShingle | Christine Paul Billie Bonevski Laura Twyman Catherine D'Este Mohammad Siahpush Ashleigh Guillaumier Jamie Bryant Elizabeth Fradgley Kerrin Palazzi The ‘price signal’ for health care is loud and clear: A cross‐sectional study of self‐reported access to health care by disadvantaged Australians Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health cost of illness underserved populations socioeconomically disadvantaged groups health services accessibility outpatient care |
| title | The ‘price signal’ for health care is loud and clear: A cross‐sectional study of self‐reported access to health care by disadvantaged Australians |
| title_full | The ‘price signal’ for health care is loud and clear: A cross‐sectional study of self‐reported access to health care by disadvantaged Australians |
| title_fullStr | The ‘price signal’ for health care is loud and clear: A cross‐sectional study of self‐reported access to health care by disadvantaged Australians |
| title_full_unstemmed | The ‘price signal’ for health care is loud and clear: A cross‐sectional study of self‐reported access to health care by disadvantaged Australians |
| title_short | The ‘price signal’ for health care is loud and clear: A cross‐sectional study of self‐reported access to health care by disadvantaged Australians |
| title_sort | price signal for health care is loud and clear a cross sectional study of self reported access to health care by disadvantaged australians |
| topic | cost of illness underserved populations socioeconomically disadvantaged groups health services accessibility outpatient care |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1111/1753-6405.12405 |
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