Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40163532›Full record

ArticlePLOS global public health2025

Engaging community groups to enhance healthcare access for persons with disabilities in rural Uganda: A qualitative exploration.

Andrew Sentoogo Ssemata, Tracey Smythe, Slivesteri Sande, Abdmagidu Menya, Shaffa Hameed, Peter Waiswa, Femke Bannink Mbazzi, Hannah Kuper

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PLOS global public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. [Rethinking patient-centered care through an intersectional lens: pathways to health equity].Bundesgesundheitsblatt, Gesundheitsforschung, Gesundheitsschutz · 2026
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Andrew Sentoogo SsemataDisability Research Group, Medical Research Council/ Uganda Virus Research Institute and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Uganda Research Unit, Entebbe, Uganda.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0060-0842
Tracey SmytheInternational Centre for Evidence in Disability, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3408-7362
Slivesteri SandeDisability Research Group, Medical Research Council/ Uganda Virus Research Institute and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Uganda Research Unit, Entebbe, Uganda.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9463-5004
Abdmagidu MenyaDisability Research Group, Medical Research Council/ Uganda Virus Research Institute and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Uganda Research Unit, Entebbe, Uganda.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0000-9733-0214
Shaffa HameedInternational Centre for Evidence in Disability, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom.
Peter WaiswaSchool of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.
Femke Bannink MbazziDisability Research Group, Medical Research Council/ Uganda Virus Research Institute and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Uganda Research Unit, Entebbe, Uganda.
Hannah KuperInternational Centre for Evidence in Disability, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Community participation is a promising strategy for addressing local health needs through identification of context-specific challenges and developing sustainable solutions. However, its feasibility for persons with disabilities, who are often marginalized and excluded from participation, remains uncertain. Our study examines barriers and facilitators to community group participation in improving healthcare access for persons with disabilities in Uganda. Semi-structured interviews with 27 purposively selected persons with disabilities in Luuka district, Eastern Uganda were undertaken between September and November 2022. Questions were asked about participation in existing groups and interest in joining community groups for persons with disabilities to improve healthcare access. All interviews were recorded and transcribed and analysed with a thematic approach. Our study uncovered a notable lack of active engagement among persons with disabilities in existing community groups. Participants expressed a strong desire to belong to disability-focused groups, primarily driven by the desire for unified advocacy. Facilitators for group formation included the opportunity for collaborative problem-solving, unified advocacy, and the chance to share lived experiences. Conversely, barriers to participation encompassed issues such as low self-esteem, financial constraints preventing monetary contributions, and the lack of reasonable accommodations, such as inaccessible meeting venues. Recommendations for group formation included community-wide sensitisation, stakeholder engagement, integration of health-livelihood initiatives, linkage to services, and managing group dynamics to ensure inclusiveness, a manageable group size, and realistic monetary contributions. Persons with disabilities are eager to participate in community groups and recognize the importance of strengthening community-based healthcare initiatives. Addressing barriers to group formation can unlock the potential of these groups to support persons with disabilities effectively. These findings offer valuable insights for developing community-based interventions to enhance healthcare access for persons with disabilities. Further research is essential to fully grasp the key mechanisms and dynamics within these groups to ensure their long-term sustainability.

Identifiers

PMID40163532
PMCPMC11957358

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.