| Learning Objective #1: Identify access barriers and facilitators for women with disabilities seeking breast cancer prevention services | |||
| Learning Objective #2: Discuss ways to improve provider practice that will facilitate serving women with disabilities |
Objectives: Phase I: To explore the experience of women with disabilities seeking breast cancer prevention services. Phase II: To identify provider's knowledge, attitudes and behaviors regarding preventive health care for this population. Phase III: To develop/distribute educational materials about serving women with disabilities.
Design: Phase I: Qualitative phenomenological design. Phase II: Provider survey developed from interview results. Phase III: Educational materials market tested using focus groups.
Population, Sample, Setting, Years: May 2001 -- March 2002. Phase I: Population served by our community collaborators provided a sample of 20 Arkansas women with disabilities consisting of urban and rural women with varying degrees of disability severity. Phase II: Random sample of 61 advanced practice nurses and physicians from currently licensed Arkansas providers. Phase III: Members of Phase I population were invited for focus groups.
Methods: Phase I: Face-to-face interviews using a structured interview guide. Interviews were transcribed and coded for analysis. Phase II: Questionnaire mailed to providers. Phase III: Two focus groups market-tested educational materials.
Findings: Phase I: Architectural, environmental and attitudinal barriers were described. Women complained about poor transportation, heavy doors, and inaccessible exam tables and bathrooms. Women felt devalued by their providers and believed that their symptoms were often overlooked. Women with disabilities want to be partners in their own health care. Phase II: Providers lack knowledge about preventive health management for women with disabilities and they fail to consider physical access for exams and mammograms. The need for disability guidelines for providers was identified.
Conclusions: Women with physical disabilities face barriers resulting in delayed detection and increased risk of cancer. Providers require education about management of women with disabilities.
Implications: Preventive health care for women with disabilities is an under-investigated area of research. Further research is needed to design effective interventions for this population and their providers.
Back to Disease Prevention
Back to 14th International Nursing Research Congress
Sigma Theta Tau International
10-12 July 2003