Table 1.

The Dimensions of candidacy

Candidacy dimension	Definition	Examples in MIA study
Identification of candidacy	The ability of individuals to recognise their symptoms when they first manifest as requiring medical assistance or intervention	• Families’ perceptions of asthma • Parents’ recognition of asthma symptoms
Navigation	The need for knowledge about services and the ability to mobilise a range of resources (practical, financial) that enable access to services	• Awareness about asthma services • Time off work for appointments
Permeability	The ease with which people can gain access to different healthcare services	• GP practices as permeable • Practice nurses as assisting access • Need for negotiation of language differences
Appearances at health services	The assertion of a claim to candidacy for medical attention or intervention by appearing at a service	• Getting a diagnosis • Managing emergency situations (attacks) • On-going management
Adjudications	The judgements and decisions made by professionals, which allow or inhibit continued progression of candidacy	• Inconsistent management and unclear or contradictory advice given by different health professionals
Offers and resistance	The offer of care or treatment made my services, and the resistance to those offers by users	• Refusal of annual reviews • Non-use of asthma medication
Operating conditions and the local production of candidacy	Local or context-specific influences on interactions between patients and practitioners	• The uncertain and contingent nature of asthma • Local South Asian community networks