Identifying local barriers to access to healthcare services in Chile using a communitarian approach

INTRODUCTION: Previous research has used proxy variables or a unique construct to quantify healthcare access. However, there is a need for a different model that can handle this multivariable problem. This study seeks to develop a way to measure access to the local healthcare system with higher local resolution. METHODS: A new survey was developed based on communitarian claims, following a behavioural model and an ontological framework. The survey was used to identify local barriers to healthcare services and the local preferences for priority settings. The results were analysed using multiattribute utility functions and individual weights were assigned by a panel of experts. National and regional indexes of access to healthcare were developed. RESULTS: The survey contained seven modules and 104 questions. It was conducted on 1885 participants at 42 rural and 231 urban locations in three regions of Chile. The total disutility of the identified barriers to healthcare access at the national level was low (0.1448; values ranged between 0 and 1, with 1 representing a higher barrier) and was higher in the northern region (0.1467). The barriers associated with the health‐policy component showed the highest disutility value, and specific barriers for each community were identified. CONCLUSIONS: These results have the potential to improve health decision‐making in Chile and can be used to assess the impacts of new health policy reforms. Although this model was tested in Chile, it can be adapted for use in any other country. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: Participants contributed to this study by completing a survey, participating in general talks and receiving brochures with the results obtained from this study.