Publication Date

8-1-2003

Degree Program

Department of Public Health

Degree Type

Master of Public Health

Abstract

There is presently a lack of research on the types of communication barriers faced by the rural elderly when accessing health care. Furthermore, much of the research on the rural elderly is old and outdated. Thus, this thesis research sought to identify and explore communication barriers faced by the rural elderly when accessing healthcare. Specifically, the research in this thesis seeks to answer the following research questions: What types of communication barriers do rural elderly face when seeking health care? More specifically, what sorts of patient-provider communication barriers will the rural elderly of South Central Kentucky identify? An interview guide was developed to explore the perceived communication barriers encountered when accessing healthcare. The data were collected from subjects, who must have been at least 65 years of age and must have visited a senior center in the Barren River Area Development District on the date of interviews (n=59). The data was analyzed using frequencies and central tendencies with SPSS. The study satisfied the purpose of expanding and updating what is known about the communication barriers faced by the rural elderly when accessing health care. The study also, demonstrates that further research is needed on this topic to update the current knowledge even more so.

Disciplines

Public Health

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