Exploring Barriers of the Health System to Rehabilitation Services for People with Disabilities in Iran: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

IntroductionThe United Nations (UN) identified health as a basic human right, but, unfortunately, the evidence shows that people with disabilities (PWD) often have lower levels of health than the general population. This can be associated with problems in access to the services and programs. The aim of this study was to explore barriers of the health system to rehabilitation services for PWD in Iran.MethodsThis was a qualitative study conducted on 21 participants using semi-structured, in-depth interviews and content analysis from June 2014 to July 2015. Data analysis was performed by MAXQDA version 10.Results“Barriers” were the most prominent challenge of people with disabilities that needed access to rehabilitation services. These barriers were categorized into eight concepts of deficiency in the system that provides rehabilitation services, defect of education, deficiency in detecting and screening of people with disability, defect of stewardship in rehabilitation, ignoring socio-cultural factors, accessibility hardships, lack of identification, and financial hardships in rehabilitation.ConclusionsAn efficient rehabilitation plan requires a common understanding, considering the long-term complications involved in addressing the barriers. Understanding the barriers of the health system to rehabilitation services requires comprehensive management that first should be familiar with all of PWD, providers, policy makers, and other beneficiaries. It also is necessary for policy makers to consider rehabilitation services as a main part of the health plan; especially, they must change their oversight of rehabilitation services and programs. Thus, policy makers should have need comprehensive management and recommended further research.

Rehabilitation of vulnerable groups in emergencies and disasters: A systematic review

“…[8] Studies conducted years after occurrence of disasters typically show that the society's progress is affected at a largescale, but signifi cant issues are often ignored in relation to vulnerable groups in society. [9] The aim of the study was to perform a systematic review of rehabilitation activities for vulnerable groups during emergencies and disasters, including economical, physical, spiritual, psychological and social activities. The results of the current study may help health field managers better implement standard rehabilitation plans for vulnerable groups.…”

Attitudes Toward Cancer and Cancer Patients in an Urban Iranian Population

“…In addition, the differences may be related to lifestyle and cultural factors. In Iran, it is not easy to observe the altered appearance of cancer patients in public places, as individuals with disability and sick people often remain at home . Several factors, including lack of rehabilitation services and lack of education on this issue, may contribute to the decision of disabled and sick patients to stay at home .…”

Determinants of Health Care Seeking Behaviour and Unmet Need Among People With Physical Disabilities in Nigeria

“…Open Access: e-Journal 2010). This has been reported to be the case in some studies among people with disabilities (Ahumuza et al, 2014;Abdi et al, 2015). With regard to the socioeconomic and access to healthcare variables, their relationship with healthcare seeking is intricately interdependent by the relationship between poverty and disability, which underlies difficulty in accessing healthcare among people with disabilities in terms of ability to reach and pay for healthcare seeking expenses (Gudlavetti et al, 2014;Moodley & Ross, 2015;Abdi et al, 2015).…”

“…Several studies showed that distance to a health facility in terms of high cost of transportation and availability as the main obstacles to healthcare seeking. The high cost was related to the price people with disability had to pay for the service and also for extra charges incurred in instances where a person using a wheelchair was required to pay double the fare and also pay for an assistant, as they need assistance to travel to health facilities (Abdi et al, 2015;Grut, Mji, Braathen, & Ingstad, 2012;Maart & Jelsma, 2014;Saloojee, Phohole, Saloojee, & Ijsselmuiden, 2007). The influence of costs on healthcare seeking among people with disabilities could be due to the fact that they utilize more of hospital services, which has been documented to be high and a determinant of healthcare expenditure among people with disabilities (Moodley and Ross, 2015;Badu et al 2015;Trani et al 2010).…”