I don't even want to go to the doctor when I get sick now: Healthcare experiences and discrimination reported by people who use drugs, Arizona 2019
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Meyerson et al_ HCP stigma against ...
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Final Accepted Manuscript
Affiliation
Southwest Institute for Research on Women, College of Social & Behavioral Science, University of ArizonaFamily and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Arizona
Institute for LGBT Studies, University of Arizona
Issue Date
2021-01-15Keywords
Community based participatory researchDrug user health
Healthcare access
Healthcare provision
Stigma
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ELSEVIER B.V.Citation
Meyerson, B. E., Russell, D. M., Kichler, M., Atkin, T., Fox, G., & Coles, H. B. (2021). I don't even want to go to the doctor when I get sick now: Healthcare experiences and discrimination reported by people who use drugs, Arizona 2019. International Journal of Drug Policy, 103112.Rights
© 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Collection Information
This item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at repository@u.library.arizona.edu.Abstract
Background: People who use drugs experience severe health inequities created by structural and social barriers related to healthcare access. This includes stigma. Objective: To characterize the experience of healthcare access among people who use drugs in Maricopa County, Arizona USA. Methods: A 20-item guided survey with quantitative and qualitative items was fielded between October 23-November 5, 2019 among people who use drugs in community locations (public spaces, trap houses, drug copping areas). Surveys were administered face-to-face by community researchers with lived experiences. Survey recruitment included convenience sampling and social referral among respondents. Quantitative items were described and qualitative data were independently coded using an a priori coding scheme including reasons for healthcare seeking and healthcare-related stigma (anticipated, experienced, enacted). Results: Over one-third (39.5%) of the185 person sample did not seek medical care in the past year. Of this group, 34.2% reported that they did not seek needed healthcare because they were afraid of being treated badly by medical providers for using drugs. The three major experiences reported by those seeking healthcare in the past year included 1) medical mistreatment (not addressing the primary medical complaint, providing wrong or inadequate treatment), 2) social mistreatment (disapproval, embarrassment, shaming) and 3) abusive behavior (verbal and physical) by healthcare providers. Conclusions: Efforts should create healthcare social and practice environments that assure appropriate and competent medical care and prohibit healthcare provider mistreatment of people who use drugs. Structural incentives such as healthcare finance, hospital accreditation and medical complaint registration should be considered. © 2021 Elsevier B.V.Note
12 month embargo; published online 15 January 2021ISSN
0955-3959Version
Final accepted manuscriptSponsors
Robert Wood Johnson Foundationae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1016/j.drugpo.2021.103112