Introduction: There are different dimensions of access to healthcare services - availability, accessibility, accommodation, affordability, and acceptability.
Aim: The aim of the study is to analyze these different dimensions of access to healthcare services in the Northeast region of Bulgaria.
Material and Methods: Data from an inquiry are used to analyze the access to healthcare services. The inquiry was conducted in 2014 among 618 citizens of the Northeast region of Bulgaria.
Results and Discussion: Access to healthcare services depends largely on the location of the respondents. There are barriers even with primary care, which creates restrictions on the use of other types of healthcare services.
Half of the respondents living in villages declare that their access to general practitioner is limited. In addition to the financial burden, a barrier to access to specialized medical care is also the lack of referrals for examinations or diagnostic tests. The barriers to physical accessibility lead to financial and time restrictions, which in turn are reasons for postponing the use of medical care.
Conclusion: The findings show that there are differences in the access to the healthcare system, depending both on the place of residence and on the income of the respondents, which is an example of health inequities. The
„construction` of regional healthcare system affects the access of the population to healthcare, which in turn is a prerequisite to reducing or exacerbating the inequity.
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