Inequalities in Access to Health Services Faced by the Population with Hearing Loss in Greece: a Cross-Sectional Study

Aim was the investigation of the perceived barriers in access to healthcare among population with hearing loss in Greece (deaf and hard of hearing). The sample consisted of 86 deaf and 54 hard of hearing adults that live in Attica. Core demographic data and information regarding participants' access to health services was gathered using a self-completed structured questionnaire. The 93% of deaf and the 77.8% of hard of hearing struggled to navigate the healthcare system and reported barriers in access to health services and unmet needs (p=0.009). There were difficulties in booking an appointment (p<0.001), lack of appropriate administrative means (e.g. booking via email) so as to book a visit without the mediation of another person (p<0.001), long waiting time (p=0.01) and intention to manage very consciously the limited benefits (regarding the free interpret hours) they are entitled to (p<0.001). Regarding the engagement with healthcare providers, poor adherence to medical instructions was revealed, as the 41.2% of deaf and the 60% of the hard of hearing did not comply with the proposed medication, making a self-assessment that they did not need to (p=0.02). This minority population faces disproportionate difficulties in access to healthcare and therefore significant interventions to tackle these barriers need to be considered.