Access to Primary Healthcare Services for the Roma Population in Serbia
Author Information
Author(s): Leanne Idzerda, Orvill Adams, Jonathan Patrick, Ted Schrecker, Peter Tugwell
Primary Institution: Institute of Population Health, University of Ottawa
Hypothesis
Are the Roma population in Serbia able to effectively access primary care services, and if not, what barriers prevent them from doing so?
Conclusion
The Roma face significant barriers in accessing primary healthcare services, particularly related to personal documentation, geographical accessibility, and affordability.
Supporting Evidence
- Roma children are significantly more likely to experience an acute respiratory infection than either the general population or the poorest quintile.
- All three population groups were equally likely to not receive the correct treatment regime of antibiotics.
- Personal documentation is a statistically significant problem for the Roma population.
- Geographical accessibility and affordability are substantive issues that disproportionately affect the Roma population.
- 56.4% of the Roma population did not utilize healthcare services in the previous month due to costs.
Takeaway
This study shows that Roma children are more likely to get sick but have a harder time getting the right medicine compared to other kids.
Methodology
Disaggregated data were analyzed from three population groups in Serbia using the effective coverage framework.
Potential Biases
Potential bias in sample collection and the use of secondary data may affect the validity of the findings.
Limitations
Self-identification of Roma, lack of disaggregated data, use of secondary data, and limitations of the effective coverage framework.
Participant Demographics
The study focused on the Roma population, the general population, and the poorest quintile in Serbia.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.01
Confidence Interval
95% CI = 15.3 - 22.5%
Statistical Significance
p<0.01
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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