Reshaping the equitable and inclusive access to healthcare: A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Improving equitable access to healthcare requires innovative interventions and strengthening a service innovation operational model to achieve transformative change and bring sustainability to public health interventions. The current study aims to identify the components of the Mobile Medical Units (MMUs) operational model as an innovative intervention to provide equitable and inclusive access to healthcare.

METHODS: The study used qualitative research to identify the components of the operational model of MMUs for primary healthcare in future. Data has been collected via semi-structured in-depth interviews with 103 healthcare professionals from six states representing India's Tier I, Tier II, and Tier III regions. A thematic analysis was performed to examine emergent salient themes.

RESULTS: The study identified and examined scalability, affordability, replicability, and sustainability as the four critical components of the operational model of MMUs. The findings of the study indicated that MMUs with these four components played a vital role in COVID-19 immunization, especially in resource-limited settings. The study found that MMUs are a cost-effective and scalable healthcare delivery model that can be easily replicated in primary healthcare service delivery.

CONCLUSION: The findings underscore the significant role of MMUs in addressing healthcare disparities, particularly in resource-limited settings. The adaptability and cost-effectiveness of MMUs make them an ideal solution for primary healthcare delivery, especially in Tier I, II, and III regions of India. It lays a foundation for future research and policy-making, emphasizing the need for innovative, equitable, and sustainable healthcare delivery models like MMUs to transform and strengthen healthcare systems globally.