Perspective of healthcare providers on assessing the quality and accessibility of health services for chronic diseases in Jordan during Covid-19: a mixed method study

Abstract

BackgroundHospital services in all parts of the world were severely affected by the crisis caused by the Coronavirus pandemic. This was particularly concerning for patients who suffer from chronic diseases. Aim: This study aimed to: assess the level of quality and accessibility of chronic disease services from the perspectives of healthcare providers, assess the association between healthcare providers’ socio-demographic factors and their perspectives on accessibility and quality level, and explore the providers’ perspectives on the barriers and facilitators of quality and accessibility to chronic disease health services during the COVID -19 pandemic.MethodDesign: An explanatory mixed method design was employed in this study using a questionnaire and focus group discussion approach. The questionnaire consisted of three sections including, demographic, accessibility, and quality. Sample: A convenience sampling approach was used to collect the quantitative from 412 healthcare providers working at public, private, and teaching hospitals. A purposive sample of 12 healthcare providers were interviewed to collect the qualitative data. Analysis: The quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS Statistics Version 25. The qualitative data was analyzed using the thematic analysis approach.ResultsThis study found that the quality and accessibility of chronic disease services in northern Jordan were affected during COVID-19. Quantitative: The majority of the participants reported moderate level of accessibility and quality. Qualitative: Four main and six subthemes were identified: 1) Accessibility barriers including transportation and fear of infection; 2) Accessibility facilitators including availability of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Covid-19 vaccination; 3) Quality barriers including staff shortage; 4) Quality facilitators including safety protocol.ConclusionThe quality and accessibility of chronic disease services were affected due to the healthcare system restating to address the Covid-19 pandemic. Different barriers and facilitators for chronic disease healthcare services accessibility and quality were identified. The findings of this study lay the ground for healthcare decision and policymakers to develop strategies and formulate polices to ensure these patients receive the needed healthcare services, and hence improve their health outcomes.