Coyle Catherine P, Santiago Mayra C
Therapeutic Recreation and Kinesiology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Medscape Womens Health. 2002 Jul-Aug;7(4):2.
Current published data indicate barriers and deficiencies in healthcare for women with physical disabilities. Yet, information regarding the influence of secondary conditions and demographic variables on the actual utilization of general health and rehabilitative services is limited. This research examined this issue.
Survey research
Metropolitan Philadelphia region
170 women between 21 and 65 years of age with physical disabilities
Most (96%) women had seen a general healthcare provider (eg, personal physician or gynecologist) in the past 6 months, with 60% reporting seeing such a provider 3 or more times. Despite this high frequency, many women had not had routine preventive gynecologic cancer screening services in the past 5 years. Additionally, respondents reported experiencing on average 12 secondary complications in the past year that moderately impaired their functioning. Many of these complications (fatigue, spasticity, deconditioning, joint pain, depression, social isolation) are preventable. Despite these complications, only about half of the women had seen a rehabilitative service provider (eg, physical therapist, mental health worker) in the past 6 months. Women who saw their general healthcare provider most frequently were more likely to also be receiving services from a rehabilitative service provider.
General healthcare providers are frequently seeing women with physical disabilities. Healthcare providers have the ability and opportunity to enhance the health and wellness of this population. Particular attention should be focused on providing preventive healthcare services, including gynecologic cancer screenings and prevention and management of secondary conditions that accompany disability.
目前已发表的数据表明，身体残疾女性在医疗保健方面存在障碍和不足。然而，关于继发疾病和人口统计学变量对一般健康和康复服务实际利用情况影响的信息有限。本研究对这一问题进行了调查。
调查研究
费城都会区
170名年龄在21岁至65岁之间的身体残疾女性
大多数（96%）女性在过去6个月内看过普通医疗服务提供者（如私人医生或妇科医生），其中60%的女性表示看过3次或更多次。尽管就诊频率很高，但许多女性在过去5年中并未接受常规的预防性妇科癌症筛查服务。此外，受访者报告称，在过去一年中平均经历了12种继发并发症，这些并发症对她们的功能造成了中度损害。其中许多并发症（疲劳、痉挛、身体机能减退、关节疼痛、抑郁、社交隔离）是可以预防的。尽管存在这些并发症，但在过去6个月中，只有约一半的女性看过康复服务提供者（如物理治疗师、心理健康工作者）。最频繁就诊于普通医疗服务提供者的女性也更有可能接受康复服务提供者的服务。
普通医疗服务提供者经常接待身体残疾女性。医疗服务提供者有能力和机会改善这一人群的健康状况。应特别关注提供预防性医疗服务，包括妇科癌症筛查以及残疾相关继发疾病的预防和管理。
