Work

"I'm in Hell …": Experiences of Unmet Health Care Needs Among People with Pre-Existing Disability and Long COVID

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: The unmet health care needs of people with pre-existing disabilities who have long COVID are understudied. During the COVID-19 pandemic, people with disabilities experienced barriers to accessing care and supplies needed to prevent and treat COVID-19. Once they had contracted COVID-19, people with disabilities were more likely to develop long COVID compared with people without disabilities. Using the 2022 National Survey on Health and Disability, this study aimed to compare how unmet health care needs differ among people with pre-existing disabilities with and without long COVID. We examined bivariate associations between unmet health care needs and respondents' demographic characteristics and responses to open-ended survey questions. About 73% of respondents with long COVID reported unmet health care needs compared with 62.6% of respondents without long COVID. Four key themes emerge from open-ended responses: exacerbation of existing disability, navigating the health care system, gaslighting by health care providers, and financial burdens.

Source: Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved

DOI: 10.1353/hpu.2025.a959114

Authors: Darcy L. Sullivan, Kelsey Goddard, Noelle K. Kurth, Jean P. Hall

Language: English

Topic: Long-Term Effects of COVID-19

Subfield: Neurology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDGs: Good health and well-being, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: green

Funders: Australian Government, National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research

Award: G8665357339