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Faculty of Health Sciences

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    Creating an instrument to measure perceptions about access to health-related higher education programmes in South Africa
    (Stellenbosch University, 2020-12-04) Orton, Penelope Margaret; Essack, Sabhia; Nokes, Kathleen M.; Brysiewicz, Petra
    Background: The South African government has created countless policies that support the need to admit and graduate students who had been excluded from health-science programmes in higher education settings during the apartheid era. Objective: to develop a questionnaire that could be used by various stakeholders to obtain their perceptions about access to health sciences education in higher education settings. Method: A mixed methods design was used; the qualitative stage allowed for the identification of themes while the quantitative stage used measurement theory, to develop an instrument based on those themes. Results: The overarching theme was Achieving equity of access for success is multi-factorial and has diverse & complex challenges and eight sub-themes emerged which were used to create a 17-item questionnaire that has good content validity and reliability (Cronbach alpha=.767). Conclusion: Further psychometric testing with larger, more diverse samples will result in a refined instrument that can be administered to various stakeholder groups, such as current and potential health sciences students and faculties, and used in programme evaluation. Health science programmes can use the instrument to measure access within different disciplines and possible changes over time as innovations are piloted. Different health sciences programmes can be compared and contrasted and objective data can be used to make systematic organizational changes.
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    A practice framework to improve accessibility of maternal healthcare services for women with disabilities in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
    (2023-05-31) Mheta, Doreen; Sibiya, Maureen Nokuthula; Nkosi, Pauline Busisiwe
    Background Access to maternal healthcare services is a challenge in most low and middleincome countries. South Africa is one of the countries striving to improve the accessibility of maternal healthcare services. Although South Africa has put some interventions to improve the accessibility of maternal healthcare services, vulnerable women including women with disabilities are still facing numerous challenges when trying to access maternal healthcare services. Aim The aim of the study was to explore the factors that impact access to public maternal healthcare services for women with disabilities in KwaZulu-Natal with the ultimate goal of developing a practice framework to improve women with disabilities’ access to maternal healthcare services. Methodology An in-depth qualitative study was conducted using the case study method. Interviews and focus group discussions were used to collect data. Twelve women with disabilities (four with physical impairments, four with hearing impairments and four with visual impairments) were interviewed for this study. Focus group discussions were conducted with sixteen midwives and one-on-one interviews were conducted with four gynaecologists and one medical officer. Data were transcribed verbatim and analysed utilising the framework of assessing access to maternal healthcare services by Peters et al. 2008: 162. Findings Several factors impact access to maternal healthcare services for women with disabilities. They are classified into systemic, infrastructural and personal. These factors are interconnected to either positively or negatively impact access to maternal healthcare services for women with disabilities. Systemic factors include availability of human resources, training on handling pregnant women with disabilities and availability of sign language interpreters. Infrastructural factors include the design and layout of buildings, adjustable equipment, and assistive devices. Personal factors include attitudes of healthcare workers to pregnant women with disabilities, empowerment amongst women with disabilities, availability of a companion and the ability to read and write.
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    Access and utilization of adolescent youth friendly services in primary health care clinics in Ekurhuleni South District, Gauteng Province
    (2022-05-13) Naicker, Reshna; Naidoo, Vasanthrie; Munsamy, Michelle; Mavundla, Amile
    Background- The Adult Youth Friendly Health Service (AYFHS) programme has been fragmented in the healthcare system. Regardless of youth healthcare being a priority, the inequalities within the implementation and sustenance of this service, there has been unmet health needs of many youth and adolescents within the community of Ekurhuleni in the South district of Gauteng. This study has therefore found it necessary to explore the youth perspectives in accessing and utilising adolescent/youth friendly health services within the community. Aim of the study-The aim of the study was to explore the perspectives of adolescents regarding their access and utilization of AYFHS in Primary Health Care clinics in the Ekurhuleni South District, Gauteng Province. Methodology- The study utilised a qualitative, explorative, descriptive approach where data was gathered through individual interviews from a study population based in the Ekurhuleni South District in Gauteng province and selected through a purposive sampling technique. The analysis and interpretation of the data revealed emerging themes which discussed and formed the core of the research findings. Conclusion- Access and utilisation of AYFHS in the Ekurhuleni South District, noted that several barriers existed. From the perspective of the youth that have been interviewed, it was noted that a lack of knowledge regarding the AYFHS programme was prevalent. Youth healthcare is the centre of priority in the healthcare system and AYFHS should be the programme of focus as it encapsulates the burden of disease holistically amongst the youth population. Provision of accessible, available, equitable and appropriate youth healthcare services are required at healthcare facilities in the Ekurhuleni South District. Recommendations- Policy makers and those in authority should routinely assess and evaluate healthcare facilities to ensure that the essential package of the AYFHS programme is implemented at all healthcare facilities and quality healthcare services are provided to the youth population. This study recommends that all aspects of quality service delivery, such as adequate infrastructure, human and material resources and operating hours of the healthcare facility need to be improved to meet the needs of the community. Education and training of staff and the community regarding AYFHS is required as matter of urgency. Strategies to improve satisfaction of healthcare services should be targeted and retaining the youth population within the healthcare facility must be given priority.