title: Hurry up and wait. The experiences of young women in rural Nova Scotia accessing specialized care.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study explored experiences of waiting to access specialized health care among young women living in selected rural communities on the south shore of Nova Scotia. We asked women about the challenges they faced during wait times and how they perceived the impact of these experiences on their health.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted qualitative interviews with 10 women aged 21-37 years. We used thematic analysis to identify common experiences among participants.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Some women expressed feelings of frustration about waiting, but others resigned themselves to the wait. Women reported challenges such as caregiving for ailing family members who waited for care. Some women took control of their situation by accessing private health care or what they called "the next best thing" (e.g., care from alternative health providers), although in some cases this was financially costly. A few women sought assistance through support networks. Many women reported that wait times affected their health.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results support previous research indicating that young rural women's caregiving roles and support networks influence their experiences with wait times. Our research indicates that waiting to access specialized care can be financially costly for some women and may also affect their health.
authors: School of Health and Human Performance, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS. jessie_sheppard@hotmail .com
authors: Jessie
authors: J
authors: Harrold
authors: Lois A
authors: LA
authors: Jackson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017028:Caregivers; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D016304:Hospitals, Private / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D009674:Nova Scotia; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017149:Private Sector; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012424:Rural Population; D012944:Social Support; D014850:Waiting Lists; D055815:Young Adult