Health Care : Current Reviews

Inequalities in utilization of health services among older people in Iran

10^th International Conference and Expo on Novel Physiotherapies and Physical Rehabilitation & 8^th World Congress on Health Economics, Health Policy and Healthcare Management & 50^th Global Nursing & Healthcare Conferen

September 07, 2022 | WEBINAR

Maryam Tajvar

Tehran University of Health Sciences, Iran

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: Health Care Curr Rev

Abstract:

Iran's population aged 60 years and older will reach more than 31% by 2050, from less than 10% now, leading to an increase in the demand for health services and creates many challenges for the health system in the field of providing financial resources and health services. From the social point of view, old age is associated with retirement and loneliness, which creates special social and welfare needs which may expose them to inequality in the utilization of health services. The purpose of study is to investigate the relationship between socioeconomic characteristics and the use of health services in the elderly. The participants were 8205 people ≥60 years old who were selected through a 3-stage stratified random sampling from the data of the 2015 National Service Utilization Survey. Data were collected by questionnaires and analyzed using logistic regression and concentration index via spss17 and R software. The results show that the referral rate for outpatient and inpatient services were as 67% and 93% and the utilization rates, out of which were as 98% and 97/8%, respectively. Factors affecting the utilization of services included age and education (outpatient services), gender (inpatient services) and supplementary insurance coverage (for both services). Based on the concentration index, a significant inequalities were found in the use of inpatient services among different socio-economic groups (based on need) (CI=0.24), but no significant inequalities in terms of outpatient servives. In conclusion, low socio-econimc groups needs to be prioritised in supportive financial policies, on their access and utilization of inpatioent sercices.

Biography :

Maryam Tajvar has received her PhD in Health Policy and Management from London School of Hygieneand Tropical Medicine in 2015 granted by the MoH of Iran. She has also MSc in Population study from York University – UK and Health care Management from Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Currently she is working as an Assistant professor in Public Health School of Tehran University of Medical Science. She has already supervised 12 postgraduate students and also currently 12 more postgraduate student under supervision. So far, she published more than 55 papers and books, of which 25 has been indexed in highly accredited databases.