Table 2 Themes and subthemes with examples

Theme: Making Connections: Interpersonal Communication

Quality: Providers who do or do not

• Take time, listen

Desiree, Jaelyn, Praise, Qatya, Raleigh

I mean, she talked to me like, and explained things to me […] where I could understand it and I knew exactly what they were going to do, like why they were doing like whatever swabs they were doing and stuff like that. She actually just talked to me … like about, asking if I have kids and how old they were, asking me about my personal life. (Mimi)

• Share information, involve patient in care

Cassie, Evan, Mimi, Isidore, Jaelyn, Lindsey, Raleigh

• Provide person-centered, non-judgmental care

Cassie, Isidore, Jaelyn, Lindsey, Mimi, Qatya, Seylon

Theme: Getting it Done: Logistics of Access & Availiability

Scheduling

• Phone queues, months’-out scheduling

Cassie, Desiree, Evan, Lindsey

It’s not good because you have to be up at 7:15 and you, you have to wait on the phone until they count down the numbers, and most of the time, by the time they got to me all the appointments was full for the day. (Desiree)

One time I didn’t get one [Pap exam], I just started a job and it was within my 90 days so I didn’t get it. (April)

They give you a piece of paper, tell you you got to go here, got to go there. I had the hardest time, when I was homeless, getting my teeth pulled. Like they had me going here, had me going there. […] I can pretty much sum it up like this: things that other people do, I cannot do. (Evan)

I got my blood work, I got a call from the doctor yesterday saying [my liver enzyme] levels were high […] And I can’t get in to [see] a doctor because I don’t have insurance. I tried calling the Health Department, they gave me the hospital […] and they want me to pay out of pocket, and I don’t have a job. (Praise)

I have a lot of back pain and I have polycystic fibrosis and all kinds of other issues. I have to go through a lot of pain. So […] they just kind of thought I was coming in and seeking drugs because I was talking about how bad my pain was and looking at how many times I have had to go to the ER. (Raleigh)

• Overscheduling, cancelling, waits

April, Cassie, Evan, Farah, Lindsey, Seylon

Getting away-Getting there

• Getting time off/missing work

April, Farah, Gemini, Jaelyn, Nan, Pamila,

• Arranging child care

Cassie, Jaelyn, Pamila, Desiree

• Arranging/accessing transportation

Bella, Cassie, Desiree, Farah, Jaelyn, Kay, Mimi

Payment

• Cost of/paying for treatment

April, Bella, Farah, India, Jaelyn, Gemini, Nan, Praise, Raleigh

• Managing/avoiding medical debt

Jaelyn, Raleigh

Clinic policies & practices

• Pain treatment policies

April, Bella, Isidore, Mimi, Seylon

• Chart bias practices

Cassie, Evan, India, Jaelyn, Farah, Lindsey, Pamila, Praise, Raleigh