Methodologies to measure access to care post-discharge in adults with serious injury-related disability: a scoping review

Abstract

Purpose This scoping review examined the methodologies used to measure access to care in serious injury-related disability populations, for whom access to care post-discharge has significant implications for patient outcomes and rehabilitation trajectories. Methods Four electronic databases were searched for literature published between 1 January 2000 and 15 February 2022. Relevant articles needed to relate to access to care in adult community-dwelling trauma and rehabilitation populations. Results The initial search identified 679 articles. Following de-duplication, the title/abstract screening was completed on 533 articles, and 56 full-text articles were reviewed. Thirty-eight articles met the eligibility criteria and were included in this review. Of the 38 studies included, there was large heterogeneity in the methodologies used to measure access to care. Two articles used multidimensional measures of access to care. Conclusions There is an urgent need to establish the use of multidimensional measures as standard practice in access-to-care research. Failure to account for the multidimensional nature of access to care limits the full realisation of access for people with serious injury-related disability and prevents the implementation of processes that could improve access to health, rehabilitation, and support services and enhance the quality of care for individuals with a serious injury-related disability.