A systematic review of barriers to optimal outpatient specialist services for individuals with prevalent chronic diseases: what are the unique and common barriers experienced by patients in high income countries?

Table 5 Unique barriers to specialist outpatient care by chronic condition and number of corresponding studies

Barrier	Reported in relation to:										Number of studies
Barrier	CAN	AST	DEP	DIA	ISC	COP	ART	OST	STR	Total #	Oncology only (n = 53)	Other disease (n = 21)
Acceptability
Choice of professional	✓									1	2	0
Clinical competence (technical skills)	✓									1	6	0
Patient factor	✓		✓							2	3	1
Accessibility
Lodgings	✓									1	1	0
Accommodation
General	✓									1	2	0
Affordability
Cost of illness, economic	✓					✓				2	2	1
Availability
Consultation time	✓									1	5	0
Provider availability	✓									1	6	0
Referral	✓		✓							2	6	1
Optimal care
Inadequate need assessment	✓		✓							2	17	2

CAN Cancer, AST Asthma, DEP Depression, DIA Diabetes, ISC Ischaemic heart disease, COP Chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, ART Arthritis, OST Osteoporosis, STR Stroke

ISSN: 1475-9276