Healthcare Encounters of Formerly Incarcerated Women: A Grounded Theory Study

The adult correctional population in the United States soared to nearly 7 m illion people (Bureau o f Justice Statistics [BJS], 2005).Over 2 million individuals were housed in prisons or jails in the United States.Nearly 7 percent (6.9%) were women (BJS, 2005).Recent trends in the adult correctional population suggest that there has been a stark increase in the number o f formerly incarcerated women in the United States.The purpose o f this research was to explore how formerly incarcerated women perceived their healthcare encounters.The aims o f this study were to answer the following questions.How did formerly incarcerated women perceive healthcare encounters?How did they describe difficult healthcare encounters?How did they describe successful healthcare encounters?What did they suggest to improve healthcare encounters?A grounded theory method was used.The study consisted o f interviews with 16 formerly incarcerated women at two different sites.Perspectives on healthcare encounters by formerly incarcerated women were explored utilizing a combination o f individual and focus groups interviews.Findings revealed the core category o f an action/process during encounters o f "going back-and-forth" within the context o f a fragmented healthcare system.Participants sought care for multiple health problems.They often lacked money, health insurance, literacy, and knowledge.These problems prevented them from achieving successful healthcare encounters where their needs would be met.Other barriers to successful encounters were a lack o f disclosure and stigmatization that sometimes led to feelings o f shame and poor self-esteem.When helpful others such as friends, nurses,