Table 1. Summary of the seven features of the Candidacy Framework for understanding access10
FeatureExplanation
Identification How people recognise their symptoms as needing medical attention or intervention is important to how they assert a claim to candidacy
Navigation Using services requires knowledge of the available services and depends on having the practical resources to use them
Permeability The ease with which people can use services depends on how many and what kinds of criteria people have to meet to use them, and on cultural and other alignments between services and individuals
Appearances Appearing at services involves people making a claim to candidacy. It requires a set of competencies and socio-cultural alignments
Adjudications Professional judgements about patients’ candidacy strongly influence individuals’ access to attention and interventions
Offers and resistance Offers of care may be made that may be accepted (for example, utilisation) or refused (for example, non-utilisation) by individuals
Operating conditions The perceived or actual availability and suitability of resources has a major impact on the local production of candidacy, as do other relevant operating conditions