Handling Uncertainty When Seeking Care: How People with Disabilities Encounter and Manage Barriers Within Swedish Healthcare

Abstract

This study uses a critical disability perspective to investigate how individuals with disabilities encounter and navigate uncertainties within the Swedish healthcare system. Previous research shows that healthcare professionals often lack specific knowledge about life with disabilities, leading to medical paternalism and the objectification of patients. To contribute to the body of knowledge, I apply a sociomaterial perspective, which understands these barriers as interwoven material and immaterial entities. By analyzing interviews with 15 individuals with disabilities, the significance of both material and immaterial aspects in shaping healthcare accessibility is highlighted. The interviews reveal that healthcare interactions often involve navigating various barriers, which can lead to significant health inequalities. The barriers are not isolated but interconnected, creating a complex landscape of inaccessibility, with the understanding that a more inclusive healthcare environment requires both structural changes and increased awareness among healthcare professionals about the specific needs of individuals with disabilities.