Abstract
Going to hospital is an eventful time in every life and there are unique challenges for people with disability. For example, people with disability experience barriers and disadvantages to quality health care which lead to poor hospital experiences and outcomes (Iacono et al., 2014). Consequently, there was scope to conduct this primary research into the hospital experiences in New Zealand, to further inform the needs of people with disability while hospitalised. The aim of this study was to hear the experiences of people with disability who were recently admitted to hospital and learn ways in which service delivery can be improved.
This study was carried out in partnership with a New Zealand organisation providing disability support services in the community; services are provided in-home by their teams of support workers and nurses. The research partner hoped that involvement in this study would help the organisation achieve more effective planning to inform admission into hospital, and transitions between community and hospital in the future. The research partner receives two types of funding streams, from the New Zealand Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC). People in receipt of service from the research partner from each type of funding are represented in this study.
The research partner assisted with the recruitment process, inviting clients to participate. Five individuals who had been admitted to hospital after January 2022, provided consent and subsequently participated in interviews regarding their experiences. Inductive thematic analysis was utilised with interview transcripts to identify themes.
Key themes identified that transitions between the community to hospital and the return home were difficult, as the responsibility for care was transferred. Participants shared details regarding the care received while in the hospital environment. The quality of support services provided by the research partner was discussed in the context of going to hospital. To improve continuity of care, better communication from the research partner about changes in scheduling of support services is required. Reflecting on their recent experiences in hospital, participants discussed feelings toward being admitted to hospital in future. Health care workers employed by the hospital and the research provider require more training around the needs of people with disabilities.
This research identified that better communication is required between health care agencies and people receiving services. People with disabilities are disadvantaged by the transport options available to take them to and from hospital. Further research is needed exploring the health experiences of people with disabilities which draws a comparison between receiving funding from ACC and MoH. Furthermore, research focusing on those who routinely experience disparities in health, including tāngata whaikaha Māori, tagata sa'ilimalo or the Pacific disability community, and disabled people from Rainbow communities.