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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Charles Drum, JD, PhD¹, Laura A. Hammond, MPH, CHES², Marilyn Beradinelli, BS¹, Emily Walsh, BA³, Willi Horner-Johnson, PhD¹, and Gloria L. Krahn, PhD, MPH². (1) Center on Community Accessibility, Oregon Health & Science University, PO Box 574, Portland, OR 97207, 504-494-8047, drumc@ohsu.edu, (2) Rehabilitation Research and Training Center: Healtlh and Wellness, Oregon Health and Science University, PO Box 574, Portland, OR 97207, (3) Child Development & Rehabilitation Center, RRTC: Health & Wellness, Oregon Health & Science University, PO Box 574, Portland, OR 97207

While access to quality and timely health care is a leading indicator of population health, many studies have revealed that people with disabilities are more likely to go without needed care. In order prioritize health care accessibility issues and collect contextual information on their importance, the RRTC: Health & Wellness conducted a short Internet survey of people with disabilities that was distributed nationally though multiple listservs and consumer organizations in the fall of 2005. Within two weeks, 961 responses had been received. The sample was predominately white (92.1%) and female (67.8%) with a mean age of 42 years. Seventy three percent of participants experienced a mobility impairment, 21.1% a cognitive impairment, 15.9% a vision impairment, and 15.6% a hearing impairment. Preliminary analysis indicates that 34% of participants had not been able to access needed health care in the last year. Financial barriers (cost or lack of insurance coverage) and not being able to find a health care provider who understood or was willing to treat the respondent's disability were cited as the primary reasons for not obtaining care. Areas that were ranked as most important for accessibility to primary health care included parking areas, exam rooms, restrooms, and medical equipment. While Internet surveys represent a relatively new method of data collection with some clear limitations, the overwhelming response to and wealth of information provided by the Health Care Access Survey provides significant input for the creation of a relevant and useful tool to measure the accessibility of health care facilities.

Learning Objectives: At session’s end, participants will be able to

• Understand the process for developing and implementing an online survey tool
• Identify barriers to routine health care for people living with disabilities
• Discuss the impact of these findings on future interventions and the potential for online data collection among people with disabilities

Keywords: Disability, Health Care Access

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No