Unfolding Experiences on Healthcare Services in Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas

Abstract

This study is a qualitative and quantitative inquiry on the lived experiences of the key informants towards how they personally experienced public healthcare services delivery in their respective isolated and disadvantaged communities using descriptive phenomenology approach. This study brings to light the real-time situation of public health services in Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas or GIDA barangays. Participants of this study were carefully identified using purposive sampling, they being area residents, public health services recipients, health services implementers and observers of the phenomenon being studied. Data gathering is being done through key informants’ interview while data analysis utilized Colaizzi’s method of thematic data analysis. The data gathered also presented the emerging themes from the key participants’ narration of their lived experiences on healthcare services in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas. Key findings from the key informants’ lived experiences on healthcare services centers on two major themes which represent the challenges and efforts for improvement of healthcare services, thereby focusing on the inefficiency of health services implementation as well as the good efforts and felt positive change. Emphasis on a short-range action plan is being highlighted for the targeted results that would address the challenges of healthcare services delivery and translate the day-to-day objectives concerning the key findings of this study into quantifiable tasks.