Table 6 Themes, sub-themes and codes identified from interviews with patients
Theme | Sub-theme | Code |
|---|---|---|
The direct effect of sanctions on population health | Impact of sanctions on availability of medicines and services | - Medicine shortage and access challenges, especially for orphan drugs - Difficulties in accessing and availability of medical supplies and equipment |
Impact of sanctions on costs of medicines and services | - Increased drastic fluctuations in service costs - Increased out-of-pocket payments to access health care and medicines - Medicine shortage following increased prices and impaired access | |
Impact of sanctions on quality of medicine and services | - Replacement of quality medical supplies and equipment with lower-quality material - Obtaining medicines from the black market with questionable quality - Increased counterfeit medical supplies and equipment in the market | |
Tendency to prioritize patients within the families | - Prioritizing comorbidities in favor of treating emergency diseases and ignoring chronic ones - Underemphasizing chronic conditions, due to financial constraints imposed by sanctions, in favor of emergency situations - Prioritizing healthcare needs of multiply ill family members - Re-prioritizing life needs/necessities versus health/disease management needs | |
Delayed treatment | - Ignoring symptoms - Delaying treatment - Treatment complications - Increased treatment cost | |
The side effects of sanctions on peoples’ lifestyle (health-related) | Frustration due to inability to improve living conditions | - Increased living costs - Despair and hopelessness - Increased feelings of instability, especially in financial matters - Uncertainty about the future - Distrust and despondency about the future - Reduced ability to afford and fulfill basic daily necessities, such as food and medical expenses - Reduced ability to afford well-being and cultural activities. |