2012 Research Design and Methods in Human Geography GEOG 315 SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENT
The University of Auckland New Zealand www.env.auckland.ac.nz
Project: Access to Healthcare – Inside Flaxmere: Identifying physical,
cultural and socioeconomic obstacles
Student: Zaynel Sushil
This is a brief summary of research undertaken by a student as part of The University of Auckland course ‘Research Design and Methods in Human Geography’. The information reports the findings of the student and does not reflect the opinion of The University of Auckland and may not be attributed to the University. Students in this course obtained valuable information and much support from individuals and organisations in Hawke’s Bay. In making this report available we are hoping to repay some of that generosity. Since the Black Report in 1980s, serious attention has been given towards understanding how health inequalities arise. There are disparities in health in the extent to illness and untimely death seen between different groups within a population. Certain groups can expect to relish significantly better health and lengthier lives than others. These differences in health outcomes are linked with a variety of often interacting factors: geography, gender, ethnicity, culture, lifestyle, environment and socio‐economic status. One common misconception is that inequalities in healthcare only exist in developing countries. This is not true; disparities in society are created every day in developed countries where individuals and minority groups get marginalised. It has been proven that distribution of resources and funding generally favour richer, urban dwellers over poorer, rural inhabitants. Therefore in many countries, investments in public healthcare infrastructure have not primarily benefited the most vulnerable in society. Inadequate access to healthcare facilities has caused problems for rural and poor people. This is a result of many sorts of barriers which are created in an individual’s life. These barriers can be created from the service side or the physical or sociocultural environment. Inequity in health is growing which is a result of poor policy making. Institutions such as Ministry of Health and Government fail to understand that each individual has the equal moral worth and therefore every person’s life and life prospects matter equally. Therefore primary healthcare should be made accessible to all people, since it has be proven that healthcare can increase a person’s overall well‐being and prevent disease outbreaks on large scale. Queries: Dr David Hayward
School of Environment, The University of Auckland
[email protected]
(09)923-8454
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A mixed methods approach along with the ‘Biopyschosocial’ model was applied to study the social, economic, cultural and physical dynamics of Flaxmere Hastings. Flaxmere has been known for its long reputation of being a deprived community in the Hawkes Bay Region. This made it an interesting area for research. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods were used in order to understand the systemic inequalities in service provision. There were four core aims of this investigation; first was to identify if accessibility to healthcare was a genuine problem. Second was to identify which barriers people most identify with. Third was to map the location and analyse the spatial distribution of all primary health clinics in Flaxmere and Hastings Town. Fourth was to identify if there were any actions or plans for improving accessibility. The results indicated that accessibility was a problem for many individuals. Cost and hours of operation were two major barriers. The spatial distribution of health clinics were dispersed with more health clinics located towards urban areas. Both Hastings Council and the District Health Board work interactively together with Flaxmere community. They have applied a bottom up approach in order to identify gaps in Flaxmere. Some actions are already on the way such as the Flaxmere community plan 2012 and ‘Services to increase Access’ which is funded Ministry of Health. However the general public in Flaxmere stated that progress in Flaxmere has been fairly slow, and inequality is growing larger. District Health Board acknowledges that progress has been slow and this has been because of funding constraints. Key words: Inequality, Accessibility, Barriers, Healthcare, Equal Rights, ‘Biopyschosocial’ Model, Flaxmere, Deprivation, Stakeholders, Mix Methods, Triangulation and Spatial Analysis. Queries: Dr David Hayward
School of Environment, The University of Auckland
[email protected]
(09)923-8454