The Ten to Men Australian Longitudinal Study of Male Health shows that around one in five Australian men have at least some difficulty engaging with healthcare providers, and at least one in four do not feel supported or understood by health practitioners.
Understanding health beliefs and behaviours of males can help to overcome systemic, structural and personal barriers to their engagement with primary health care.
These are some of the things health practitioners can do to increase male engagement in primary care. Structural barriers to engaging with health services include a lack of male-friendly health settings, time, cost and location.
1. Create an inclusive space
Practices can create spaces in which men feel comfortable and welcome, with gender-neutral décor, reading and information materials for males, and promotion of services offered to men and boys.
3. Demonstrate specific expertise
When it comes to systemic barriers, males want to know that their health service providers have expertise in male health. Patient-centred communication that is direct and clear, strengths-based and without jargon is appreciated by males, as are thoughtful use of humour, empathy and understanding.
4. Take the lead on sexual health
Males are generally happy to be asked questions about potentially sensitive issues (such as sexual health and relationships), which provides an opportunity to explore health concerns other than their presenting complaints. Providing information and education verbally to male patients is effective, especially if they trust and respect the person providing the information.
Positive experiences with health practitioners can motivate future engagement of males with primary healthcare services. The ability of healthcare providers to deliver appropriate services to men and boys therefore provides long-term benefits.
References
Australian Institute of Family Studies. Ten to Men Australian Longitudinal Study on Male Health: Chapter 4 Health literacy and health service use among Australian men. Published September 2020. https://aifs.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-10/ 2020_ttm_insights_report_chapter_4.pdf
2. Prioritise efficiency
Males appreciate efficiency when accessing health services, like clear information and instructions (e.g. about billing and making appointments), simple procedures, avoidance of redundancy, and mechanisms to inform patients of delays in consultation times if they occur.
