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. 2017 Nov-Dec;19(6):313-321.
doi: 10.7224/1537-2073.2016-016.

Barriers to the Accessibility and Continuity of Health-Care Services in People with Multiple Sclerosis: A Literature Review

Chungyi Chiu, Malachy Bishop, J J Pionke, David Strauser, Ryan L Santens

Barriers to the Accessibility and Continuity of Health-Care Services in People with Multiple Sclerosis: A Literature Review

Chungyi Chiu et al. Int J MS Care. 2017 Nov-Dec.

Abstract

Background: Individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) face a range of barriers to accessing and using health-care services. The aim of this review was to identify specific barriers to accessing and using health-care services based on a continuum of the health-care delivery system.

Methods: Literature searches were conducted in the PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Web of Science databases. The following terms were searched as subject headings, key words, or abstracts: health care, access, barriers, physical disability, and multiple sclerosis. The literature search produced 361 potentially relevant citations. After screening titles, abstracts, and citations, eight citations were selected for full-text review.

Results: Health-care barriers were divided into three continuous phases of receiving health care. In the before-visit phase, the most commonly identified barrier was transportation. In the during-visit phase, communication quality was the major concern. In the after-visit phase, discontinued referral was the major barrier encountered.

Conclusions: There are multiple interrelated barriers to accessing and using health-care services along the health-care delivery continuum for people with MS and its associated physical disabilities, ranging from complex and long-recognized barriers that will likely require extended advocacy to create policy changes to issues that can and should be addressed through relatively minor changes in health-care delivery practices, improved care coordination, and increased provider awareness, education, and responsiveness to patients' needs.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

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