Non-financial access to healthcare services in rural areas: A case study of people with disabilities living in Northern Iran

by Lida Shams, Tahere Darvish, Mohamad Meskarpour Amiri, Sayyed-Morteza Hosseini-Shokouh, Taha Nasiri

Introduction

Access to healthcare for persons with disabilities (PWDs) is an important but often ignored issue for achieving universal health coverage. The current study aimed to investigate PWDs’ access to healthcare in the rural areas in north of Iran.

Methods

Following a descriptive-analytical design, 471 persons with disabilities (PWDs) living in the Nor city, Mazandaran province, were selected using quota sampling. Data were collected by a valid and reliable questionnaire that contained dimensions of time, geography, physical, and acceptability using face-to-face interviews. The findings are provided by central and dispersion indicators and analyses are performed with linear Regression using SPSS version 17.

Results

PWDs had moderate access to healthcare services in all dimensions. The regression models for access to health services in all four dimensions were significant (p Conclusion

A small percentage of PWDs had high access to health services. Hence, improving their access to healthcare services, particularly in rural and less developed areas, and developing appropriate policies should be the focus of Iranian policy-makers.