Self-care and social class: Unpacking inequities in healthcare access during a healthcare reform.

This article explores the implications of social class for healthcare access and self-care practices among patients with complex multimorbidity in Denmark. Despite universal health coverage, socioeconomic disparities persist in healthcare access. We analyze qualitative data stemming from a summative...

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Publicado en:Health: An Interdisciplinary Journal for the Social Study of Health, Illness & Medicine Vol. 30; no. 5; pp. 679 - 701
Autores principales: Aamann, Iben Charlotte, Lykke Lundstrøm, Sanne, Frølich, Anne, Barett, Barbara Ann
Formato: research tables/charts Journal Article
Publicado: Sage Publications Inc. Sep2026
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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      dt: Sep2026
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      pub: Sage Publications Inc.
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        atl: Self-care and social class: Unpacking inequities in healthcare access during a healthcare reform.
      aug:
        au:
          Aamann, Iben Charlotte
          Lykke Lundstrøm, Sanne
          Frølich, Anne
          Barett, Barbara Ann
        affil: University College Copenhagen, Denmark
      sug:
        subj:
          Self Care
          Social Class Psychosocial Factors
          Health Services Accessibility
          Health Care Reform
          Comorbidity Denmark
          Human
          Healthcare Disparities
          Denmark
          Health Care Delivery, Integrated
          Referral and Consultation
          Purposive Sample
          Interviews
          Funding Source
          Qualitative Studies
      ab: This article explores the implications of social class for healthcare access and self-care practices among patients with complex multimorbidity in Denmark. Despite universal health coverage, socioeconomic disparities persist in healthcare access. We analyze qualitative data stemming from a summative evaluation of a complex intervention to improve integrated care for these patients, which included extended consultations in general practice. Using a sociocultural and psychosocial concept of class, we examine how patients engage with normative ideals of patient behavior and self-care. By highlighting two extreme cases, our findings reveal significant class-based differences in patients' health practices. While the middle-class patient actively engages in his treatment, the lower-class patient struggles with more pressing life issues, relegating chronic illness management to the background. We argue that future healthcare reforms emphasizing differentiated treatment based on increased self-care may inadvertently exacerbate existing inequity. Such insights are crucial for developing equitable healthcare policies that address the complex interplay between social class and access to healthcare.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        research
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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