Access to healthcare system of indigenous communities with musculoskeletal disorders and rheumatic disease in Chaco, Argentina: a qualitative study

Abstract

Introduction/objectives: The objective of this study is to describe the local healthcare system from the perspective of the health professionals, community health workers, and local representatives of the qom community living in the province of Chaco, Argentina. Methods: A qualitative study, with an ethnographic approach, was carried out using two techniques: non-participant observations and semi-structured interviews. A guide for the interviews was designed and developed by a multidisciplinary group of GLADERPO researchers. The main aspects included were the following: reference into the local healthcare system and accessibility to the system. Andersen’s base conceptual model of health service utilization was applied for the analysis and for structuring the results. Results: A total of 21 people were interviewed, twelve women and nine men with an age ranging between 25 and 60 years old. The main findings were different barriers (communication and cultural) between the community and the healthcare system; “navigation” within the health system carried out by the qom community; and migration and bureaucratization of the health system. Conclusions: These findings should be incorporated into educational strategies to improve access to healthcare system and adherence to medical treatment, establishing an interaction between the different levels of the local care system and providing community health workers with an appropriate training with the support of the community representatives.• The different barriers between the community and the healthcare system were described.• The “navigation” within the health system carried out by the qom community and the migration were relevant points.• The bureaucratization of the health system and the need to design and implement educational strategies in the future were highlighted.