"Healthcare should be the same for everyone": perceived inequities in therapeutic trajectories of adult patients with lung cancer in Chile, a qualitative study.

Background: Globally, it has been reported that different social determinants of health affect health outcomes in lung cancer (LC). Research on the therapeutic trajectories of patients (TTP) is a novel field for identifying barriers and facilitators in health. The objective of this study was to reveal perceived differences in TTP with LC in Chile according to selected social determinants of health (SDH) and the experiences of patients, health professionals, and civil society leaders. Methods: This is a qualitative paradigm, one case-study design. Online semi-structured interviews were conducted with patients with LC, health professionals, and civil society leaders. The strategies for the recruitment process included social networks, civil society organizations, health professionals, and the snowball technique. A thematic analysis was carried out. Results: Selected SDH impact LC's TTP in Chile, particularly concerning health system access, health services, information, and patient navigation experiences. The analysis of the experiences of the participants allowed us to identify barriers related to the selected SDH in three stages of the TTP: initiation, examinations, and diagnosis and treatment. Individuals with limited education, those residing outside the capital, women, and those in the public health system encountered more barriers throughout their TTP. Discussion: Study findings suggest that being a woman with low education, from the public health system, and not from the capital might represent one of the most powerful intersections for experiencing barriers to effective healthcare in LC in Chile. It is necessary to monitor the TTP from an SDH perspective to guarantee the rights of access, opportunity, quality, and financial protection.

Perceived barriers and facilitators for adhering to COVID-19 preventive measures in Chile: a qualitative study in three large cities.

BACKGROUND: Globally, it has been reported that different social determinants of health -structural, sociodemographic, economic, living conditions and cultural factors- may affect opportunities to adhere to prevention measures against SARS-CoV-2. The objective of this study was to explore the perceptions around barriers and facilitators for adherence to COVID-19 prevention measures among the adult population residing in three large cities in Chile from a social determinants of health perspective. METHODS: Qualitative paradigm, multiple case-study design. Online semi-structured interviews were conducted with men and women aged 18 and over from different socioeconomic groups residing in three large cities. For participant recruitment and selection, purposive contacts were made based on community and social media networks, followed by snowball sampling. Saturation was reached at 61 participants, after which a thematic analysis was carried out with the support of AtlasTi software. The Ethics Committee of the Universidad del Desarrollo in Chile approved this study. RESULTS: The main perceived barriers to adherence to COVID-19 preventive measures are linked to structural social determinants of health such as income, occupation, gender, access to basic supplies, and housing. Perceived facilitators are the fear of contagion and the incorporation of measures into daily habits. The social communication of preventive measures by health authorities is perceived as punitive, affecting adherence once the fear of contagion decreased in the country. It is also perceived that the recommended preventive measures are disconnected from communities' cultural practices and people´s identity, as well as affected by gender inequities and socioeconomic conditions that stakeholders in the country do not sufficiently address. CONCLUSION: Study findings suggest that adherence to preventive measures, such as social distancing, mask use, and hand washing, could be promoted through their incorporation into the daily life habits of people and communities. These measures should consider the structural social determinants that generate multiple barriers to adherence, like poverty, occupational risks, and overcrowding. Socio-cultural dimensions of health and everyday risks need further understanding among the different communities in the country, allowing for differences in viewpoints and practices based on gender, age, place, and social identity.

Revisando Conceptos de Acceso, Trayectorias, Participación y Conocimiento Tácito en Investigaciones Sobre Pacientes y Cobertura en Salud.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to characterize 5 approaches that have been developed in research on patients and health coverage, which reveal information from the perspective of patients: (1) access to healthcare, (2) therapeutic trajectories, (3) social participation in decision making on health coverage, (4) tacit knowledge, and (5) communities of practice. METHODS: This is a narrative literature review, based on searches performed in PubMed/MEDLINE and Web of Science, between August and December 2021. A total of 45 scientific articles were selected for analysis, which were complemented by a gray literature search that provided 6 additional manuscripts. RESULTS: Improving access to health services requires an understanding of the meaning of the concept of access from the users themselves. The patient trajectory approach contributes by emphasizing that the focus of analysis must adopt the patient's perspective, given that it provides valuable information for the decision making on health coverage. In addition, the role that social participation has in the process to grant trust and legitimacy is described. Tacit knowledge makes explicit the importance of revealing it as a source of information that adds value to the decision-making process. Finally, communities of practice are described as spaces where new ways of experiencing the disease originate, as well as ways of relating to the health system and its actors. CONCLUSIONS: The article raises the relevance that various social actors know these approaches, as well as strategies to integrate them into the assessment processes in terms of health coverage.