Perception of people with disabilities and caregivers regarding public health services

Abstract

Access to healthcare has been increasingly addressed in studies seeking to identify the obstructive factors in achieving care. In this context, this article presents part of the results of a study that sought to understand the perception of people with disabilities and family caregivers regarding public health policies available in the city of Campo Grande, state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. This is a qualitative study conducted with people with physical disabilities and family caregivers through interviews. The data were organized and analyzed according to the technique of the Collective Subject Discourse, and the content was discussed in the light of scientific literature concerning the theme and the Theory of Social Representations. Thirteen people with disabilities and eight family caregivers participated in the study. The central ideas identified were grouped into care, infrastructure, and operation. The identified weaknesses show that the care, organization, and operation of the services sometimes do not meet the needs of the person with disabilities. Structural precariousness indicates the insufficiency of financial, physical, material, and human resources. The results aim to support actions to improve access to healthcare in the municipality.

Keywords
people with disabilities; access to healthcare; public policy