Health services struggle to provide affordable and nondiscriminatory healthcare to Māori , Pacific , disabled , and rainbow whānau, according to the latest NZ Health Survey . Nearly a quarter of Māori reported unmet primary care needs over the past year, signalling deep cracks in the system. It is important we understand these gaps in healthcare access and why healthcare remains out of reach for so many.
Our earlier research suggests this is about more than cost and poor logistics. To investigate the complex reasons behind unmet healthcare needs in Aotearoa New Zealand, we have launched a new research initiative , using the online platform Wāhi Kōrero to provide users with an anonymous space to share their experiences with the health system. Early results suggest systemic biases that prevent equitable access and stop some people from even seeking healthcare.
The project invites people to share their stories in response to the prompt “I felt too whakamā to go to the doctor”. Whakamā refers to a feeling of embarrassment or shame that can deter people from seeking necessary healthcare. The research explicitly seeks to uncover these health service experiences as a way to improve health outcomes and reduce persistent health inequities.
The experiences of those who do not seek care tend to be absent from conventional health and consumer experience surveys. Rather than focusing on times when care was insufficient, our research invites people to anonymously share th.
