Communication barriers to formal healthcare utilisation and associated factors among poor older people in Ghana

Background: Successful interactions between healthcare users and healthcare providers are facilitated by effective communication, which is one of the functions of quality healthcare delivery. Whereas a lack of financial resources impedes healthcare utilisation, a lack of meaningful communication is also likely to create a barrier between healthcare providers and users. Method and materials: In this study, we use bivariate and multivariate statistical analyses to model the likelihood of communication barriers to formal healthcare utilisation using socio-economic and demographic data collected from poor older people under the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) Programme in the Atwima Nwabiagya District of Ghana. Results: The study finds that participants aged 85 years or above are significantly more likely to encounter communication barriers to formal healthcare utilisation (AOR: 1.575, C.I: 0.927–4.452). The results show that non-Akan participants are significantly more likely to encounter communication barriers to formal healthcare utilisation (AOR: 1.206, C.I: 0.507–2.869). Furthermore, we find that participants with high school education are significantly less likely to encounter communication barriers to formal healthcare utilisation (AOR: 0.189, C.I: 0.051–0.700). Conclusions: Based on the findings we conclude that the provision of location-specific language access services would improve communication and reduce healthcare disparities in minority ethnic groups who are coexisting with a majority ethnic group. Thus, the findings strongly suggest the need for policy makers to recruit language translators in healthcare systems to partly eliminate communication barriers to healthcare utilisation. From a broader perspective, the study offers valuable knowledge for health policy design and amendment aimed at lessening communication barriers to formal healthcare utilisation.