The accessibility of children with disabilities to primary healthcare services
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5216/ree.v15i3.19272Keywords:
Disabled Children, Primary Health Care, Health Services Accessibility, Pediatric NursingAbstract
ABSTRACT
The objective of this qualitative study was to understand the situation of the accessibility of children with disabilities to primary healthcare services according to the perspectives of Family Health Strategy workers. The participants were 13 Family Health Strategy workers from Mossoró, Brazil. Data collection was performed between March and June of 2011 by means of semi-structured interviews. The statements were submitted to Thematic Content Analysis. The results revealed that children with disabilities (CwD) face difficulties in accessing primary healthcare services due to behavioral and structural barriers. It was, however, observed that some initiatives facilitated their accessibility, such as home visits and priority care. Thus, it is understood that the factors that hamper CwD’s accessibility to healthcare services have a negative effect on the quality of care and hinder the development of those children’s potentialities.
Descriptors: Disabled Children; Primary Health Care; Health Services Accessibility; Pediatric Nursing.