Technical Report - Donegal Traveller's Project

All Ireland Traveller Health StudySection C2: Health Service UtilisationPatterns of Health UtilisationGeneral SummarySources of Information and Ease of AccessTraveller respondents accessed information about health from a range of sources. The most frequentlycited source was the GP (91.1% ROI and 89.0% NI), followed by family or friends (31.8% ROI and 35.8%NI), TCHW (29.4% ROI and 8.4% NI), PHN (28.0% in ROI) or health visitor in NI (6.3%), Primary CareProjects (25.0% in ROI and 4.3% in NI) and Health Organisations (3.3 % in ROI and 5.0% in NI).Most people felt their opportunities to access services were about the same as everyone else.For instance 72.3% in ROI and 73.5% in NI thought their access to the Accident and EmergencyDepartment (A & E) was the same, with 14.9% in ROI and 17.9% in NI rating their access as worse, and12.8% in ROI and 8.6% in NI as better, than everyone else. Respondents were asked to rate variousdifficulties in accessing health services. The barriers identified included the waiting list (cited by 62.7%of respondents in ROI and 46.8% in NI), embarrassment (47.8% in ROI and 50.0% in NI) and lack ofinformation (37.3% in ROI and 28.6% in NI).Services Used in Last 12 MonthsIn the last 12 months in ROI a quarter of respondents had been a hospital inpatient either once (15.4%)or more than once (10.6%) and similar numbers had attended as a day-patient once (12.8%) or morethan once (9.9%). A third (32.8%) had been to hospital as an outpatient and a third (29.7%) had beento A & E. Three-quarters (75.6%) had visited their GP at least once. Utilisation of other services was lessfrequent. Women availed of services more frequently than men and there was a positive age gradient.In NI 10.8% had been an inpatient once and a further 4.9% more than once, and similar numbershad attended as a day-patient once (10.4%) or more than once (2.6%). A quarter (25.2%) had been tohospital as an outpatient and a third (33.3%) had been to A & E. Two-thirds (64.7%) had visited theirGP at least once. Utilisation of other services was less frequent. Women again availed of services morefrequently than men and there was a positive age gradient.In ROI 41.0% had complete trust in health professionals treating them, compared to 34.6% in NI;women had more trust than men but there was no consistent age pattern. Just under half ofrespondents in ROI (46.6%) completely felt they were given enough time to discuss their problem withhealthcare professionals, compared to 32.3% in NI.In ROI 70.0% felt they had been given about the right amount of information and in NI, 61.8%; therewas no clear age or gender pattern. In ROI 57.6% and in NI 38.8% felt they had always been treated withrespect and dignity throughout the consulting experience. There was some variation also in whetherrespondents judged they had been given enough privacy; in ROI 63% indicated this was always thecase, compared to 39.3% in NI.222