2. Access - the equal opportunity of people to get
appropriate care to maintain or improve their health
The ability to obtain needed, affordable,
convenient, acceptable , and effective
personal health services in a timely manner
3. Health care resources don’t mean much if not all
communities have access to them. Whether it’s
through a lack of affordability, availability, or any of
the other “Five A’s of Access,” too many people
are struggling to receive the services they need to
live healthy lives
The inability to access adequate care has
profoundly negative consequences on the health
and well-being of the people, especially on most
vulnerable groups.
4.
5. Five A’s of Access
Affordability Prices of services meet client’s income and ability to pay
•Costs: transportation, lost time and income, cost of care, etc.
•Perception of worth, relative to cost, knowledge of prices,
total cost and credit arrangements
Accessibility Location of supply aligns with location of clients or
demand
•Accounts for geographical, economic and social distance,
transportations resources, etc.
•Measured in Distance
Availability Volume and Type of services meets the client’s need
•Volume and Size of services VS Resources to client’s volume
and type of needs
•Measured in Congestion, Coverage
Accommodation Delivery of healthcare accommodates client’s needs
•Appointment systems, hours of operation, walk-in facilities,
telephone or web-services
•Cultural and Language barriers
Acceptability Healthcare providers accept all clients regardless of their
characteristics
•Clients characteristics: age, sex, social class, ethnicity, type
of insurance
6. Increase the proportion of persons with health
insurance (Medical, Dental, & Prescription Drug)
Increase the proportion of insured persons with
coverage for clinical preventive services
Increase the proportion of persons with a usual
primary care provider
Increase the number of practicing primary care
providers (medical doctor, physician assistant, &
nurse practitioner)
7. Reduce the proportion of individuals who are unable to
obtain or delay in obtaining necessary medical care,
dental care, or prescription medicines
Increase the proportion of persons who receive
appropriate evidence-based clinical preventive
services.
Increase the proportion of persons who have access
to rapidly responding pre-hospital emergency medical
services (basic life support, advanced life support).
Reduce the proportion of hospital emergency
department visits in which the wait time to see an
emergency department clinician exceeds the
recommended timeframe (all visits, immediate,
emergent, urgent, & semi-urgent).
8. Availability-fit between service capacity and individual’s
requirements
◦ Examples:
Primary or preventive services available
Transportation
Language & social services available
Sufficient specialists
24/7 availability of primary care services
Accessibility-fit between locations and providers
◦ Examples:
Private/Public Transportation •
Disabled/Elderly accessibility
Payment Options
9. Affordability-individual’s ability to pay.
◦ Examples:
High insurance premiums
Co-payments/deductibles reasonable
Prescription prices affordability
Accommodation-the fit between how resources are
organized to provide services and the individual’s
ability to use the arrangement.
◦ Examples:
Appointment availability
Office hours compatibility
Routine appointments within 1 week; walk-ins services
Urgent cases seen within 1 hour; non-emergency within 1 day
10. Acceptability-compatibility between patients’
attitudes about providers’ personal and practice
characteristics, and providers’ attitudes toward
their clients’ personal characteristics and values
◦ Examples:
Waiting time for scheduled appointments
Patients encouraged to ask questions and review records.
Acceptance of patients/providers regardless of race, religion,
or ethnic origin.
11. Geography
Financing
Culture
Language
Persons Likely to Face Access Problems:
People without health insurance
Minorities
Low-income individuals
People with little formal education
People with special needs/Disability
People with chronic illnesses
13. Quality, affordable health care for all
The role of public programs
Improving quality/efficiency of health care
Prevention of chronic disease and improving
public health
Health care workforce
Transparency/program integrity
Improving access to innovative medical therapies
Community living assistance services and
supports