Abstract

For this presentation, Jane will provide an overview of the results of three studies conducted with a team of academics, clinicians and people living with chronic conditions in Australia from 2022 – 2025. 

First, she will present the findings of a systematic review of the qualitative literature examining people with chronic conditions’ experiences of the out-of-pocket costs (OOPC) of out-of-hospital health care and medicines in Australia. Jane will then present findings from a mixed methods study examining experiences of OOPC by people living with chronic conditions in Australia and the strategies used to manage these, compared in relation to income. An analysis of the aforementioned studies through the lens of Maslow’s theory of the hierarchy of human needs will then be presented.

Speaker bio

Associate Professor Desborough is a health services researcher, whose research aims to reflect the needs and preferences of healthcare consumers with a specific focus on improving healthcare quality and outcomes. She leads the Health Experience and Health Services Research Group, Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health. A/Prof Desborough has developed a pioneering body of research founded on the principles of consumer involvement, inclusivity, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Her current research is examining people with chronic conditions’ experiences of out-of-pocket costs of health care and medicines in Australia (funded by the Australian Research Council). Other projects she has led include: experiences of diagnostic delay in people with rare diseases; development of tools to support collaboration between people living with chronic conditions and researchers; lived experience informing co-design of medical devices for young people living with type 1 diabetes; co-design of a survey to measure fatigue in people living with MS. Jane is also a registered nurse and midwife, who has worked clinically in a variety of settings for 25 years, including remote area nursing.