Changes needed in the healthcare system: perspectives of lay health workers

Lay health workers can play a crucial role in connecting the community-in-need to the healthcare system. This article provides insights into how lay health workers, selected from underserved communities, view the issues faced in accessing the healthcare system. A sample of lay health workers responded to a questionnaire used to identify barriers they, themselves, experienced as well as get their perspectives on obstacles faced by their clients. The results demonstrated that lay health workers perceived themselves less affected by barriers as compared with their clients in regard to their provider relationship, getting health information, and their own personal attitudes and beliefs about healthcare. In addition, focus group discussions yielded recommendations and potential solutions to reduce barriers and improve the healthcare system, which included improved access to the facilities, management, scope of services offered, and provider behaviors. These results may benefit the efforts of healthcare professionals and researchers by enhancing their knowledge of, and facility to utilize and deploy, community resources, and, in turn, will assist underserved populations to better negotiate the system and obtain the services they need the most.