Perspective of Healthcare Providers on Assessing The Quality And Accessibility of Health Services for Chronic Diseases in Jordan During Covid-19: A Mixed Method Study (preprint)

ABSTRACT

Background: Hospital services in all parts of the world were severely affected by the crisis caused by the Coronavirus pandemic. This was particularly concerning for patients who suffer from chronic diseases. Aim: This study aims to assess the quality and accessibility of chronic disease services, it examines the association of socio-demographic factors with the quality and accessibility of chronic disease services, and it explores the barriers and facilitators of quality and accessibility to chronic disease health services during the COVID -19 pandemic, from the perspectives of healthcare providers. Method: Design: A mixed method design was used in this study. In the quantitative part of the study, a questionnaire was used. The qualitative part of the study was conducted by using a focus group discussion approach. Sample Data were collected from healthcare providers. Setting: The institutions involved were Public ,private and teaching hospitals .Analysis: The collected data were analyzed using SPSS Statistics Version 25. The interview responses were analyzed using the thematic analysis approach. Results: This study found that the quality and accessibility of chronic disease services in northern Jordan were affected during COVID-19. Quantitative Most of the participants reported barriers to access and a moderate level of quality during COVID-19. Qualitative Four main themes were identified in relation to the barriers and facilitators of both quality and accessibility of chronic disease health services during COVID-19. Conclusion: The quality and accessibility of chronic disease services were affected during COVID -19. In addition, sociodemographic factors helped to predict the quality and accessibility of chronic disease services during COVID-19, from healthcare providers perspectives. The findings of this study provide healthcare policymakers with information and evidence that is crucial in guiding them to make informed decisions and develop more appropriate interventions to help patients recover from the long-term impact of COVID-19.