
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Hopley, Michelle 
A1  - Horsburgh, Margaret 
A1  - Peri, Kathy 
T1  - Barriers to accessing specialist care for older people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in rural New Zealand
JF  - Journal of Primary Health Care
JO  - J Prim Health Care
Y1  - 2009
VL  - 1
IS  - 3
SP  - 207
EP  - 214
KW  - 
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1071/HC09207 
N2  - INTRODUCTION: Access to health care for people living in rural areas presents many challenges. For people who live with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the ability to access specialist health services facilitates improved health outcomes, however many barriers to accessing specialist health care have been identified. This paper reports on the challenges people living with COPD in rural New Zealand (NZ) face in accessing specialist health care services. METHODS: Nine people living with COPD in a small NZ rural town were interviewed in 2007. FINDINGS: Data analysis, using a general inductive approach found that difficulties with transportation, physical access, communication and finances collectively added up to significant barriers to accessing specialist care for this group of people. CONCLUSION: The findings raise questions about the model of care needed to improve health care for rural people with COPD. Collaborative multidisciplinary teams with specialist respiratory nurses working in the community are proposed to improve care coordination and improve communication for this group of people. KEYWORDS: Rural health services; health services accessibility; pulmonary disease; chronic obstructive; community health nursing 
ER  -

