Overcoming access barriers to paediatric healthcare services

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Chapters one: Introduction
  • 1.1 Rationale of the study and research objectives
  • 1.2 Outline of the dissertation
• Chapter two: Literature review
  • 2.1 Gender and household
  • 2.2 Human capital approach to health and care-seeking strategies
  • 2.3 Access and barriers to healthcare services
    • 2.3.1 Demand side barriers
    • 2.3.2 Demand and supply-demand interaction barriers
  • 2.4 Conclusion
• Chapter three: Background
  • 3.1 Sierra Leone - poverty and healthcare profile
  • 3.2 Emergency in Sierra Leone
• Chapter four: Methodology
  • 4.1 Data collection methods and process
  • 4.2 Ethical issues, study limitations and bias
• Chapter five: Findings and analysis
  • 5.1 Provider choice and demand side barriers
    • 5.1.1 Demand side barriers at the individual level
    • 5.1.2 Demand side barrier at the household level
    • 5.1.3 Demand side barriers at the community level
  • 5.2 Demand-supply interaction and supply side barriers
  • 5.3 Conclusion

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This dissertation aims to investigate the access barriers faced by users of paediatric healthcare services in Goderich, Sierra Leone. The study examines these barriers through the lens of the Emergency Paediatric Outpatients Department (OPD), exploring the perspectives of service users. The key themes explored in the study include:

• The impact of gender and household dynamics on healthcare access.
• The application of the human capital approach to understanding health-seeking behaviors.
• The various demand-side barriers hindering access to paediatric healthcare, including those at the individual, household, and community levels.
• The role of supply-side barriers and their interaction with demand-side factors in shaping access to care.

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

Chapter one introduces the study's rationale and research objectives, providing an overview of the dissertation. Chapter two delves into a comprehensive literature review, exploring relevant themes such as gender and household dynamics, the human capital approach to health, and various barriers to accessing healthcare services. This chapter examines both demand-side barriers, including individual, household, and community-level factors, and demand-supply interaction barriers. Chapter three presents the background of the study, focusing on the poverty and healthcare profile of Sierra Leone, including the context of the emergency situation in the country. Chapter four outlines the methodology employed for data collection and analysis, including ethical considerations, study limitations, and potential biases. Chapter five presents the findings and analysis of the study, examining provider choice and demand-side barriers, including their impact at different levels. It also explores the interplay between demand and supply factors and analyzes the influence of supply-side barriers on access to healthcare services.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The dissertation centers around the themes of access to paediatric healthcare, demand-side barriers, supply-side barriers, human capital, gender and household dynamics, and the healthcare system in Sierra Leone. These keywords highlight the study's focus on understanding the complex interplay of factors that influence the ability of children in Sierra Leone to access essential healthcare services.