ACCESS

Despite proven treatments that can halve rates of heart disease, Māori and Pacific people are less likely to receive treatment and more likely to die from heart disease than other New Zealanders. Barriers to accessing healthcare are important contributors to these disparities.

This research aims to systematically identify and understand the key barriers faced by Māori and Pacific people in accessing treatments for heart disease across the healthcare-continuum. Given the availability of effective interventions, identifying access barriers, investigating their causes, and developing solutions, could rapidly improve heart health outcomes in Māori and Pacific people.

Qualitative and quantitative studies to investigate access-related gaps in treatment for Māori and Pacific people will be undertaken at three points along the healthcare-continuum:

• assessment and management of the risk of heart disease in general practice;
• accessing hospital care for heart attacks;
• post-hospital management of heart failure.

At each point we will ask whether gaps in treatment are due to access barriers which could be reduced. This will inform the development of a Quality-Improvement-Equity roadmap to systematically reduce the barriers.