Access to Geriatric Disability Care in India: A Roadmap for Research

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Aug 14;19(16):10018. doi: 10.3390/ijerph191610018.

Abstract

This paper presents an ontological review of the global research on access to geriatric disability care and a roadmap for future research to address the problem in India. First, the dominant research focus is on resources (human, financial, and spatial) that affect access to disability care; there is little focus on informational and technological resources. Second, functional disabilities are the dominant focus of the research, followed by cognitive, mental, and locomotor disabilities; there is little focus on speech, hearing, and visual disabilities. Third, barriers, inhibitors, and catalysts of physical access are the dominant focus, with relatively less focus on virtual access; there is very little emphasis on the drivers to access. Fourth, the primary, although not dominant, focus is on access for urban and rural populations; there is very little focus on access for underserved and indigenous populations. Future research must address these gaps systematically to improve access. This paper adds: (a) a systemic framework for the study of an important, complex, emerging problem; (b) a systematic review of the global research on the problem; and (c) a research roadmap to address the emerging problem in India.

Keywords: India; access; disability; geriatric; healthcare; ontology.

Publication types

  • Review
  • Systematic Review

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Disabled Persons*
  • Health Services Accessibility*
  • Humans
  • India
  • Rural Population

Grants and funding

This research received no external funding.