Prisoners' perceptions of the healthcare service: A qualitative study

It is recognized that the health of those in prison is poorer than the general population. The objective of this research is to understand the perceptions of the prisoners of the health care that they received at a district level prison in Thailand. We conducted a qualitative study, using in-depth interviews. Content analysis was used for data analysis. The participants were 13 prisoners. The findings reveal the prisoners have positive attitudes toward health services. They think that they are receiving the same standard of care as the general population. However, they are concerned about getting a communicable disease and accessibility to emergency care. There is limited dental care. The female prisoners have more trouble accessing health care than male prisoners. Suggestions for solving the inequality of care for prisoners includes increasing the collaboration with the community hospitals, using telehealth, adding female health providers, and developing inmate health volunteers among the prisoners.