Accessing health care: Experiences of South Asian ethnic minority women in Hong Kong

Abstract

The aim of the present qualitative study was to understand the experiences of South Asian ethnic minority women in accessing health‐care services in Hong Kong, a Chinese‐oriented society. Levesque's framework (2013) was adopted to conduct and analyze focus group discussions among 30 South Asian women aged between 21 and 72 years, who came from India, Nepal, and Pakistan. The overarching theme was identified as disengagement between South Asian women and the health‐care system, with the following five themes: attitude and awareness, sociocultural factors, time constraints, financial burdens, and inadequate interaction. These were linked to barriers affecting South Asian women's ability to access health care, the common challenges encountered being those related to language, culture, and communication. Lengthy waiting periods discourage these women from seeking health care in Hong Kong. Enhancing accessibility to appropriate health‐care‐related information and culturally‐informed patient–provider interaction can improve knowledge, trust, and satisfaction among these women, thereby enhancing their engagement with the health‐care system.