Strategies that enabled access to chronic care during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond in South Africa

• Published in: Health SA = SA Gesondheid Vol. 29; no. 5; p. 2412
• Main Author: Mboweni, Sheillah H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: South Africa African Online Scientific Information Systems (Pty) Ltd t/a AOSIS 2024; AOSIS (Pty) Ltd; AOSIS; AOSIS Publishing on behalf of University of Johannesburg
• Subjects: access to care; Analysis; Care and treatment; chronic care; Chronic diseases; Chronic illnesses; Communicable diseases; COVID-19; Disease management; enabling strategies; Evidence-based medicine; Health care access; Health care industry; Health care policy; Health care reform; Health Care Sciences & Services; Health facilities; Health Policy & Services; HIV; HIV (Viruses); Human immunodeficiency virus; Information management; Medical research; Original Research; Pandemics; Patients; patients with chronic diseases; Qualitative research; Research methodology; treatment; South Africa; United States > US; treatment; access to care; enabling strategies; chronic care; patients with chronic diseases
• ISSN: 1025-9848; 2071-9736; 2071-9736
• DOI: 10.4102/hsag.v29i0.2412

The COVID-19 epidemic has revealed disturbing information about how chronic diseases are treated globally. Healthcare providers and coronavirus response teams have primarily reported on how individuals with chronic conditions sought care and treatment. However, individuals' experiences of patients are yet unknown.
This study aimed to explore those strategies that enabled patients with chronic diseases access to chronic care and treatment during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.
The study was conducted in the predominantly rural district of the Northwest Province, South Africa.
An explorative qualitative research design was followed. Information-rich participants were chosen using a purposive sampling technique. Individual face-to-face interviews were used to gather data. Data saturation was achieved after interviewing
= 28 people in total. The six steps of Braun and Clarke thematic data analysis were used to analyse the data.
The study revealed three themes, which includes improved healthcare structural systems, shift from traditional chronic care to digital care services and medication refill and buddy system.
The findings of this study revealed a range of effective and noteworthy approaches that facilitated access to treatment and continuity of care. As a result, enhancing telemedicine as well as structural systems such as appointment scheduling, decanting choices, mobile and medication home delivery can improve access to care and treatment.
The burden of disease and avoidable death will be eventually addressed by maximising the use of telemedicine and sustaining the new norm of ongoing care through digital and remote care and decanting strategies.