Equity of Māori access to the orthopaedic rehabilitation service of the Bay of Plenty: a cross-sectional survey

• Published in: New Zealand medical journal Vol. 136; no. 1581; pp. 44 - 50
• Main Authors: Cate, Lachlan, Giles, Nigel, van der Werf, Bert
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New Zealand Pasifika Medical Association Group (PMAG) 25.08.2023
• Subjects: Bays; Cross-Sectional Studies; Ethnicity; Health services; Hospitals; Humans; Joint replacement surgery; New Zealand; Orthopedics; Patients; Questionnaires; Rehabilitation; Retrospective Studies; New Zealand
• ISSN: 1175-8716; 1175-8716
• DOI: 10.26635/6965.6012

Examine the access to the Bay of Plenty rehabilitation service for Indigenous Māori patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Identify structural aspects of the rehabilitation service which promote or restrict access for Māori. All patients who underwent TKA in publicly funded Bay of Plenty hospitals in 2021 were retrospectively supplied with a survey. Participants were asked to self-report demographic information and to complete a structured record of the duration, type, and location of their pre and post-operative rehabilitation. Māori patients accessed more rehabilitation (mean = 9.75 total hours) than non-Māori patients (mean = 8.34 total hours). This was in large part driven by a significant home-based component of their rehabilitation (42.9% of Māori respondents received at least some of their rehabilitation at home, compared to 16.4% of non-Māori). Once engaged with the orthopaedic service and having undergone TKA, rehabilitation access for Māori is comparable to if not greater than that of non-Māori. This is in large part driven by home-based rehabilitation. Practical facilitators which negate transport and financial barriers are an effective method of promoting access to health services for Māori.