Table 3

Barriers to health care

Ongoing management3-151Cases (SLTA)Matched hospital controlsCommunity comparison group
Physical accessibility
Regular GP96%98%
Duration of attendance (years)6.9 (5.6)6.7 (6.1)
Ease of appointment (easy, very easy)95%85%
Time to GP (<1 hour)79%80%
Ease of attendance (easy, very easy)89%79%
Financial barriers
 General:
  Only income social security benefit36%22%2%3-150
  Paid employment48%52%3-151
Asthma specific:
 GP fee:
  Usual (NZ$)16.0 (9.9)16.9 (10.4)30.9 (9.1)
  After hours (NZ$)18.4 (13)16.9 (10.9)32.2 (12.4)
 Medical insurance29%29%65%3-160
 Put off going to GP because of expense40%41%23%3-160
 Too expensive to fill prescription40%36%13%3-160
Doctor-patient relationship
Wished my doctor talked to me more about my asthma
  Strongly disagree/disagree57%56%75%
Have confidence in my doctor's management
  Strongly agree/agree81%80%51%
My doctor told me what the medicine would do
  Strongly agree/agree81%78%82%
I feel understood by my doctor
  Strongly agree/agree79%81%87%
  • 3-150 p<0.05,

  • 3-160 p<0.001 compared with cases.

  • 3-151 Data not available from community comparison group.