Researchers: Fany Yuval¹, Aviad Tur-Sinai², Rivka Neriya-Ben Shahar

Background: The Haredi population, 8%–10% of the population of Israel, is growing at a 4%–7% rate annually, has a 67% incidence of poverty and singular ways of life that pose meaningful difficulties when using healthcare services. The lack of systematic and solidly grounded information about Haredi patterns of use of healthcare services and their derivatives limits our understanding of the problem and proposals to solve it.

Objectives: Revealing the way Haredim use healthcare services. Mapping the organizational delivery of healthcare services and examining the suitability of the services delivered to the Haredi community. Finally, the Haredim’s public position on the quality of healthcare services and their suitability to their needs are examined.

Method: Focus groups were conducted in the Haredi community, along with interviews with principals of healthcare organizations, and a nationwide survey among Haredim in Israel. The results were analyzed using thematic content analysis (Atlas.ti software). We also analyzed quantitative survey data with descriptive statistics, relational indices, statistics and econometric estimations of probability models.

Findings: Socioeconomic, cultural and religious factors affect healthcare usage patterns and accessibility of healthcare services in Haredi communities. The physician’s professionalism is paramount for Haredim. The support of the community is central to personal feelings of security in healthcare.

Conclusions: Despite the trust of the Haredim in the healthcare system and physicians, the level of security in health emergency solutions rests mainly on the community, the rabbis’ advice, the Gma”ch for prescription drugs and mass funding for private medicine.

Recommendations: Development of training and consultancy interfaces between the healthcare system, Kupot Holim, and physicians for rabbis who are advising patients.
Top-down planned management of the network of organizations providing these services, with an emphasis on the role of the Gma”ch and the local authority.

Research end date: 11/2019