{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,11]],"date-time":"2026-03-11T20:55:48Z","timestamp":1773262548273,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":35,"publisher":"BMJ","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,5,20]],"date-time":"2022-05-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1653004800000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":19,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"University of Cape Coast, Directorate of Reasearch Innovation and Consultancy","award":["RSG\/INDI\/CoHAS\/2020\/101"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["RSG\/INDI\/CoHAS\/2020\/101"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["bmj.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["BMJ Open"],"accepted":{"date-parts":[[2022,5,4]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2022,5]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objective<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>To explore how the COVID-19 pandemic affected access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) services from the perspective of the persons living with HIV (PLWH).<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Design<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The study adopted an exploratory-descriptive qualitative design that used in-depth interviews as the technique for the data collection. Data analysis was done using conceptual content analysis, following the traditions of Elo and Kyng\u00e4s on deductive and Hsieh on inductive content analysis.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Setting<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>ART clinic, Cape Coast Teaching Hospital, Ghana.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Participants<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Twelve participants who had at least 1 year history of accessing ART care before the COVID-19 pandemic and at least one clinic visit during the pandemic were purposively sampled from the ART clinic.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Five concepts of accessing healthcare proposed by Penchansky and Thomas were explored: accessibility, availability, affordability, accommodation and acceptability. The ART unit in the study setting remained open for service delivery throughout the pandemic. However, fear of contracting the virus while patronising services affected the participants\u2019 decision to use the facility. Although all the participants in this study reportedly honoured their refill appointments, they indicated knowledge of other PLWH defaulting. With reference to the availability of resources, a shortage of antiretrovirals was reported, affecting the refill appointment intervals. In spite of the challenges, several strategies were implemented to accommodate the patients\u2019 needs while protecting them from contracting the virus by instituting the stipulated COVID-19 protocols. The study found that some of the strategies impacted the acceptability and affordability of the services as transportation costs increased. Varying levels of accessibility to health workers providing ART services in the study setting was also recorded.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Strategies were implemented to accommodate the effects of the pandemic on ART provision. However, these had deficiencies that must be addressed using appropriate Differentiated Service Delivery (DSD) interventions that will ensure continuous access to service delivery in the ongoing and any similar future occurrences.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2021-056386","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,5,25]],"date-time":"2022-05-25T04:02:44Z","timestamp":1653451364000},"page":"e056386","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/crossmarkpolicy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":12,"title":["Explorative\u2013descriptive study on the effects of COVID-19 on access to antiretroviral therapy services: the case of a teaching hospital in Ghana"],"prefix":"10.1136","volume":"12","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3100-770X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Susanna Aba Aba","family":"Abraham","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Adult Health, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Patience Fakornam","family":"Doe","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Adult Health, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Gifty","family":"Osei Berchie","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Maternal and Child Health Department, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Elizabeth","family":"Agyare","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinical Microbiology\/Public Health Unit, Cape Coast Teaching Hospital, Cape Coast, Ghana"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Stephen","family":"Ayisi Addo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Head Office, National HIV\/AIDS Control Programme, Korle-Bu Accra, Ghana"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Dorcas","family":"Obiri-Yeboah","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinical Microbiology\/Public Health Unit, Cape Coast Teaching Hospital, Cape Coast, Ghana"},{"name":"Directorate of Research Innovation and Consultancy, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Central, Ghana"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"239","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,5,24]]},"reference":[{"key":"2025121409344639000_12.5.e056386.1","unstructured":"Coronavirus disease WHO . 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