Is there anybody who has worked to estimate the unmet need of particular services? I am thinking specifically of our aboriginal people who live in remote areas where dialysis is not readily available. Renal failure is common in this collective and obviously given the remoteness, diabetes as well as renal failure are vastly underdiagnosed, but also the treatment for renal failure (if culturally appropriate at all) in native patients of any country is not always given. I wonder if people have experience quantifying the 'unmet need'. i am aware of studies where investigators have looked at death certificates issued after patients in remote areas have died, but also these are non-specific as they often crudely list some known morbidites. How do we measure 'unmet need'?
Hi Johan. Two places to look. For Australia Alan Cass (Alan is listed on researchgate) and colleagues have spent considerable time working through this including recent consultancy report for government (the Central Australian Renal Study - for DOHA). ALan and Jeannie Devitt (with others) have explored this from a qualitative perspective as well. Their is also data from canada (Karen Yeates et al). shouldn't be too hard to track down.
Hi Alex,
Thanks for this, I know both Alan and Karen well. Alan did not so much focus on the Kimberley, where from Perth we face very particular circumstances and the Yates group had major issues with identifying the unmet need as the death certificate system did not work for them. Also, they did not address the healtheconomic perspectives of the unmet need. I am very grateful for your tips and will talk to Alan and Karen once more.
If you look at Stewart Harris and the CIRCLE study in Canada, I think you will see this.
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