title: Barriers to accessing rural paediatric speech pathology services: health care consumers' perspectives.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  An investigation of consumers' perceived barriers to access paediatric speech pathology services.
  
  
  METHODS
  Self-administered, mail-out questionnaire.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rural and remote New South Wales (NSW).
  
  
  METHODS
  Three hundred and twenty-nine members of the NSW branch of the Isolated Children's and Parents' Association.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Consumers living in rural and remote areas experience a number of barriers that affected their ability to access speech pathology services. These barriers include the lack, and limited choice, of speech pathologists in rural areas; long distances to travel to access services, expensive travel costs, lack of public transport; poor awareness of speech pathology services; and delays in treatment due to waiting lists.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Barriers to access paediatric speech pathology services limit rural and remote consumers' usage of health services, regardless of need, indicating a possible inequity if compared to larger, more accessible urban areas.
authors.affiliation: School of Community Health, Charles Sturt University, Albury-Wodonga, New South Wales, Australia. annamocallaghan@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Anna M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: O'Callaghan
authors.forename: Lindy
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: McAllister
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wilson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009517:New South Wales; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011365:Professional Practice Location / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013070:Speech Therapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014186:Transportation / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data