Breaking the vicious cycle of delayed healthcare seeking for people who use drugs.

ABSTRACT:

Background

People who use drugs (PWUD) are at increased mortality risk, yet they typically avoid healthcare settings due to stigma and shunning. Understanding the healthcare journey from the viewpoint of PWUD has been understudied, although it is essential for informing solutions to increase healthcare access to improve their healthcare outcomes. We aimed to understand the process of accessing healthcare for PWUD, including perceived barriers and facilitators, by exploring their experiences, attitudes, and beliefs.

Methods

We employed purposive sampling to recruit PWUD to participate in nine focus group discussions (FGDs) (N = 57) in Athens, Greece. Inclusion criteria required a history of injection drug use, internet access, and Greek verbal fluency. The FGDs were audio-rec

SUBMITTER: Papalamprakopoulou Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11881266 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature