Barriers encountered by persons with disabilities in accessing health services

Aim: Although people with disabilities need health services more, they benefit less from health services. In order to determine the reasons for this condition, the present study aimed to determine the barriers that individuals with disabilities face in accessing health services. Material and Methods: In face-to-face meetings, a sociodemographic information form and a questionnaire regarding the obstacles encountered while benefiting from health services were administered to disabled individuals or their parents living in Adana. Results: 412 disabled individuals between 0.3 and 88 years of age participated in our study. 58.98 % (n=243) of the participants are men and 41.01 % (n=169) are women. 90.29 % (n =372) of our participants pay for medicine, 91.02 % (n =375) for all kinds of medical supplies, 92.96 % (n =383) for health services. 64.3 % (n=265) of our participants experience stress while receiving health services. Children and people with congenital disabilities significantly experience more frequent stress. 43.2 % of our participants (n=178) cannot perform hospital procedures without their relatives. For 70.1 % of the participants (n=289), assistant personnel are not assigned in the health institution. Assisstant personnel are given more frequently to adults than children. 51.2 % of our participants (n=211) do not see sufficient understanding from other patient relatives, and 52.2% (n=215) cannot use their right of priority. Conclusion: Most people with disabilities pay for healthcare, medicine and medical supplies. Economic conditions and social security rates of disabled individuals are low compared to the society. The most important obstacle in the access of people with disabilities to health is economic barriers. Other obstacles are that disabled individuals experience stress in the procurement of services, parents with low education level, need their relatives for treatment, not allocating auxiliary personnel in health institutions, not having sufficient understanding from other patient relatives and not being able to use their rights of priority.