Healthcare utilisation among the Belgian elderly in relation to their socio-economic status

作者：Hoeck Sarah^*; Francois Guido; Van der Heyden Johan; Geerts Joanna; Van Hal Guido

来源：Health Policy, 2011, 99(2): 174-182.

DOI：10.1016/j.healthpol.2010.08.010

• Elderly persons
• Healthcare utilisation
• Socio-economic status
• General practitioner
• Specialist
• Belgium

Objectives: To analyse the association between healthcare utilisation of elderly persons (65 and over) in Belgium in terms of contacts with GP or specialist and the socio-economic indicators household income, highest educational level within the household, and housing tenure.
Methods: A cross-sectional study based on 4494 non-institutionalised elderly participants in the Belgian Health Interview Surveys of 2001 and 2004. Socio-economic gradients in contacts (yes or no) with a GP or specialist were explored, based on the socio-behavioural model of Andersen, a conceptual framework that includes the most important determinants of healthcare utilisation. Three multivariate models were constructed using multiple logistic regression.
Results: After adjustment for age, sex, health status (self-assessed health, functional restrictions, and comorbidity), region, and living situation, initial differences in contacts with a GP and specialist between the different socio-economic groups disappeared among the elderly. On the other hand, contacts with a specialist remain dependent on SES in the younger population.
Conclusions: Adjustment for the determinants of healthcare utilisation among the Belgian elderly nullified the socio-economic gradients in contacts with a GP and specialist that initially existed. The results point to a potential link with the Belgian social and health policy.

• 出版日期2011-2