Communication barriers to formal healthcare utilisation and associated factors among poor older people in Ghana

ABSTRACT

Background

Successful interactions between healthcare users and healthcare providers are facilitated by effective communication, which is one of the functions of quality healthcare delivery. Whereas a lack of financial resources impedes healthcare utilisation, a lack of meaningful communication is also likely to create a barrier between healthcare providers and users.

Method and materials

In this study, we use bivariate and multivariate statistical analyses to model the likelihood of communication barriers to formal healthcare utilisation using socio-economic and demographic data collected from poor older people under the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) Programme in the Atwima Nwabiagya District of Ghana.

Results

The study finds that participants aged 85 years or above are significantly more likely to encounter communication barriers to formal healthcare utilisation (AOR: 1.575, C.I: 0.927–4.452). The results show that non-Akan participants are significantly more likely to encounter communication barriers to formal healthcare utilisation (AOR: 1.206, C.I: 0.507–2.869). Furthermore, we find that participants with high school education are significantly less likely to encounter communication barriers to formal healthcare utilisation (AOR: 0.189, C.I: 0.051–0.700).

Conclusions

Based on the findings we conclude that the provision of location-specific language access services would improve communication and reduce healthcare disparities in minority ethnic groups who are coexisting with a majority ethnic group. Thus, the findings strongly suggest the need for policy makers to recruit language translators in healthcare systems to partly eliminate communication barriers to healthcare utilisation. From a broader perspective, the study offers valuable knowledge for health policy design and amendment aimed at lessening communication barriers to formal healthcare utilisation.

KEYWORDS:

• Poor older people
• communication barriers
• healthcare utilisation
• healthcare modelling
• regression analysis
• social protection programme

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Williams Agyemang-Duah

Williams Agyemang-Duah holds a M.Sc. in Development Policy and Planning from the Department of Planning, KNUST, Ghana. His research interest covers ageing and health, population health, health services research, informal health care, and human-environment relationships .

Dina Adei

Dina Adei is a senior lecturer at the Department of Planning, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. Her research interest covers public health, occupational health and safety, health economics and health policy.

Joseph Oduro Appiah

Joseph Oduro Appiah holds a Ph.D. in Natural Resources and Environmental Studies from the University of Northern British Columbia. His research interests are in geography of health and healthcare, geographic information systems, and human-environment relationships.

Prince Peprah

Prince Peprah is a Ph.D. student at the University of New South Wales, Australia. His research interest covers population health, health services research and refugees and Asylum health.

Audrey Amponsah Fordjour

Audrey Amponsah Fordjour is a medical social worker at Nova Scotia Health Authority (Cape Breton Regional Hospital). Her research interests include socio-economic determinants of health, diversity and inclusion in healthcare accessibility, health and social services accessibility.

Veronica Peprah

Veronica Peprah is an educationist and holds a Ph.D. in Geography and Rural Development, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. Her research interests include poverty analysis, informal economy, gender and health services research.

Charles Peprah

Charles Peprah is a senior lecturer at the Department of Planning, KNUST. His research interest covers public health, health services research, policy analysis and economic policy.