Age and gender differences in health service utilization

BACKGROUND: This study of age and gender profiles of health care populations fills a gap in the research literature by providing a population study of both single health agency and inter-agency 'Shared Care' populations. METHODS: It combines anonymous data to link individual cases across Community Health (N = 82 751), Mental Health (N = 19 029) and Social Services (N = 19 461) populations in one county Health Authority (N = 646 239) over 3 years. It compares age and gender characteristics of single care populations and overlapping inter-agency 'Shared Care'populations. RESULTS: Approximately two-thirds of all care populations were female compared to half (513.1) in the general Health Authority population. These differences were accentuated for almost all inter-agency 'Shared Care' populations, where, whilst a younger care profile emerged for mental health and social services dual agency clients, for other shared populations a distinct care profile emerged of greater proportions of older, female and older female patients. Gender differences were also apparent for different care groups within a total Community Health care population. Whilst females made much more use of services overall, in Community Health, older males were more likely to receive rehabilitative support services. CONCLUSION: Age and gender profiles of health care agency and inter-agency populations clarify service use patterns and identify high proportions of women in health and social care populations, particularly in older care populations. This type of care population analysis could inform single agency and inter-agency shared care planning and commissioning.     

Cost sharing, supplementary insurance, and health services utilization among the Medicare elderly.

This paper investigates the extent to which private supplementary insurance and Medicaid, which vitiate the effect of Medicare cost-sharing, encourage elderly beneficiaries to seek additional medical care. A multivariate model of health services utilization is estimated with the Tobit technique, using the 1976 Health Interview Survey. We find that either private or public supplementation induces greater use of hospital and physician services, though in amounts that vary considerably according to health status. The paper closes with observations on cost savings brought about by Medicare cost-sharing and some implications for equity among beneficiaries.     

BMI, physical activity, and health care utilization/costs among Medicare retirees

OBJECTIVE: To examine the influence of physical activity (PA) and BMI on health care utilization and costs among Medicare retirees. RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES: This cross-sectional study was based on 42,520 Medicare retirees in a U.S.-wide manufacturing corporation who participated in indemnity/preferred provider and one health risk appraisal during the years 2001 and 2002. Participants were assigned into one of the three weight groups: normal weight, overweight, and obese. PA behavior was classified into three levels: sedentary (0 time/wk), moderately active (1 to 3 times/wk), and very active (4+ times/wk). RESULTS: Generalized linear models revealed that the moderately active retirees had US 1456 dollars, US 1731 dollars, and US 1177 dollars lower total health care charges than their sedentary counterparts in the normal-weight, overweight, and obese groups, respectively (p < 0.01). The very active retirees had US 1823 dollars, US 581 dollars, and US 1379 dollars lower costs than the moderately active retirees. Health care utilization and specific costs showed similar trends with PA levels for all BMI groups. The total health care charges were lower with higher PA level for all age groups (p < 0.01). DISCUSSION: Regular PA has strong dose-response effects on both health care utilization and costs for overweight/obese as well as normal-weight people. Promoting active lifestyle in this Medicare population, especially overweight and obese groups, could potentially improve their well-being and save a substantial amount of health care expenditures. Because those Medicare retirees are hard to reach in general, more creative approaches should be launched to address their needs and interests as well as help reduce the usage of health care system.     

The will to live: gender differences among elderly persons

The purpose of the study was to investigate the will to live by evaluating its association with the wish to prolong life and with indicators of well-being among men and women. First were assessed the strength of the will to live, and its relationship to the wish to prolong life in hypothetical illness conditions. Next, association between the will to live and explanatory factors, such as religious beliefs, fear of death and dying, physical and psycho-social dimensions of well-being were comparatively evaluated among men and women. Data were collected from a random sample of 987 Israeli elderly persons by structured interviews at the participants' homes. Findings indicated that women express a significantly weaker will to live than men, and less desire to prolong life by medical interventions in all the hypothetical health conditions presented to them. Gender differences were also found on the variables which contribute to the explanation of the will to live: For both genders, psycho-social indicators of well-being had more explanatory power than health indicators of well-being, but this finding was more striking among women. The implications of these findings for the study of the perceived meaningfulness of life, and the potential use of the will to live as an indicator of well-being are discussed.     

Preventive services for the elderly: would coverage affect utilization and costs under Medicare?

OBJECTIVES. This study was undertaken to determine whether adding a benefit for preventive services to older Medicare beneficiaries would affect utilization and costs under Medicare. METHODS. The demonstration used an experimental design, enrolling 4195 older, community-dwelling Medicare recipients. Medicare claims data for the 2 years in which the preventive visits occurred were compared for the intervention (n = 2105) and control (n = 2090) groups. Monthly allowable charges for Part A and Part B services and number of hospital discharges and ambulatory visits were compared. RESULTS. There were no significant differences in the charges between the groups owing to the intervention, although total charges were somewhat lower for the intervention group even when the cost of the intervention was included. Charges for both groups rose significantly as would be expected for an aging population. A companion paper describes a modest health benefit. CONCLUSIONS. There appears to be a modest health benefit with no negative cost impact. This finding gives an early quantitative basis for the discussion of whether to extend Medicare benefits to include a general preventive visit from a primary care clinician.     

Differences in U.S. hospital service utilization between traditional Medicare and Medicare HMO patients

This study examines the differences between traditional U.S. Medicare and Medicare HMO Florida inpatient hospital utilization during the years 1992-1998, using nine high volume Diagnosis Related Groups. Utilization was measured by the number of ancillary services consumed, as well as the charges for those services. The analyses controlled for differences in utilization due to patient age, race, hospital size, year and market differences in hospital costs. Patient data were severity-adjusted and the analysis focused on the patients at the highest severity level. The study found that Medicare HMO patients with chronic diseases at the highest severity of illness level consumed significantly more services than traditional Medicare patients with the same chronic diseases. It was concluded that these Medicare HMO patients were either sicker (despite the severity adjustment) than the traditional Medicare patients and/or Medicare HMOs used different production processes than traditional Medicare, perhaps in order to minimize length of stay. Medicare HMO patients with acute illnesses at the highest severity level did not, in general, consume significantly more services than traditional Medicare patients at the same level of severity for the same diagnoses. The results imply that Medicare policy with regard to HMO expansion may not result in cost savings, and may, instead, result in higher costs if the proportion of the Medicare population hospitalized with chronic illnesses increases.     

Health service demand and utilization among rural elderly in Hebei province

Objective To examine health service demand and utilization among rural residents aged ≥ 60 years in Hebei province. Methods Using stratified multistage cluster sampling, we conducted face-to-face interviews among 2 892 residents ≥ 60 years in 12 villages of 3 municipalities, Hebei province during July – September 2019. A self-designed questionnaire was used to collect participants′ information on health service demand, utilization and accessibility. Results Among the participants surveyed, the prevalence of chronic diseases was 79.1%;the two-week prevalence rate was 20.5%;12.4% reported ever visiting a doctor during past two weeks;34.4% reported with illness to be treated but not seeking medical service during past two weeks;26.6% reported having hospitalization during previous one year and 46.8% reported with diseases needing hospitalization treatment but not having hospitalization. The reported top three reasons for not seeking medication during past two weeks and not having a required hospitalization during past one year were self-perceived mild illness, economic difficulty, and inconvenient transportation. The difference in health service accessibility was statistically significant among the participants living in regions with different social development levels (P < 0.05);the participants′ health service demand and utilization differed significantly by some sociodemographic features (P < 0.05 for all). Conclusion The health service demand is at a high level but the health service utilization is at a low level among rural elderly in Hebei province, suggesting that medical insurance and health resource allocation should be improved to promote health service utilization of the population. © 2022 Editorial Office of Chinese Journal of Public Health. All rights reserved.     

Quality of care, health care costs, and utilization among Medicare Part D enrollees with and without low-income subsidy

The objective of this cross-sectional, retrospective, claims-based analysis was to evaluate disease-specific quality measures, use of acceptable therapies, and health care cost and utilization among Medicare Advantage Part D (MAPD) enrollees overall and by income/subsidy eligibility status. Individuals aged ≥65 years with evidence of ≥1 of 8 common conditions and continuously enrolled in a MAPD plan throughout 2007 were assigned to low-income/dually eligible (LI/DE) or non-LI/DE cohorts. Quality of care metrics were calculated for asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes, and new episode depression. Persistence (proportion with percentage of days covered ≥80%), compliance (proportion with medication possession ratio ≥80%), health care costs, and utilization metrics were assessed by condition. All measures were evaluated for calendar year 2007. Bivariate comparisons were made between all LI/DE and non-LI/DE subgroups. A total of 183,213 patients were included. Metrics showed deficiencies in quality of care overall but generally favored non-LI/DE patients. The proportion of patients filling acceptable medication was suboptimal for most conditions, ranging from 40% to 96% across conditions and cohorts, with COPD the lowest and heart failure (HF) the highest. LI/DE patients were significantly more likely than non-LI/DE patients to fill acceptable therapy in each disease group (P<0.001) except HF. Percentages persistent and compliant with acceptable therapies were lowest for asthma and COPD, and highest for HF; percentages were generally higher among LI/DE patients. Mean disease-specific health care costs ranged from $345 (hyperlipidemia) to $2086 (HF) and were significantly higher for LI/DE than for non-LI/DE enrollees (P<0.001) for all diseases except coronary artery disease and HF. Overall, quality indicators, use of acceptable medications, and persistence/compliance metrics were suboptimal. Quality metrics favored non-LI/DE patients but medication metrics favored LI/DE patients. With an aging population and increasing health care costs, the deficits identified highlight the need for comprehensive strategies to improve clinical and economic outcomes across diseases.     

Quit attempts among African American teenage smokers seeking treatment: gender differences

BACKGROUND: African Americans experience disproportionate smoking-related mortality. Because established smoking during youth predisposes to adult smoking and serious health consequences, characterizing ethnic differences in adolescent smokers' self-quit attempts may inform ethnic-specific approaches to youth smoking cessation. METHODS: African American and European American teenage smokers applying to a teenage smoking cessation study (2000-2003) provided smoking-related data, including characteristics of previous cessation attempts and prior use of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). Tobacco dependence was assessed using the Fagerstrom Test of Nicotine Dependence (FTND). RESULTS: Of 980 (15.5 +/- 1.3 years, 41.8% African American, 59.9% female) participants, African Americans boys were significantly less likely than European American boys to report a prior quit attempt (OR = 0.35, 95% CI 0.17-0.73, P = 0.0049) or to have used NRT (OR = 0.60, 95% CI 0.36-0.998, P = 0.049) after adjusting for years smoked and FTND score. African American girls were more likely to report a prior request for cessation treatment than European American girls after adjusting for FTND and years smoked (OR = 2.19, 95% CI 1.37-3.48, P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: While increasing education and outreach to African American boys and enhancing access to formal cessation programs for African American girls who smoke may be beneficial, our findings warrant extension to non-treatment-seeking teenage smokers.     

Anthropometric measurements in the elderly: age and gender differences

In clinical practice and epidemiological surveys, anthropometric measurements represent an important component of nutritional assessment in the elderly. The anthropometric standards derived from adult populations may not be appropriate for the elderly because of body composition changes occurring during ageing. Specific anthropometric reference data for the elderly are necessary. In the present study we investigated anthropometric characteristics and their relationship to gender and age in a cross-sectional sample of 3,356 subjects, randomly selected from an elderly Italian population. In both sexes, weight and height significantly decreased with age while knee height did not. The BMI was significantly higher in women than in men (27.6 SD 5.7 v. 26.4 SD 3.7; P<0.001) and it was lower in the oldest than in the youngest subjects (P<0.05) of both genders. The 75th year of age was a turning point for BMI as for other anthropometric measurements. According to BMI values, the prevalence of malnutrition was lower than 5 % in both genders, whereas obesity was shown to have a higher prevalence in women than in men (28% v. 16%; P<0.001). Waist circumference and waist: hip ratio values were higher for the youngest men than for the oldest men (P<0.05), whereas in women the waist: hip ratio values were higher in the oldest women, suggesting that visceral redistribution in old age predominantly affects females. In conclusion, in the elderly the oldest subjects showed a thinner body frame than the youngest of both genders, and there was a more marked fat redistribution in women.     

Socioeconomic status, depression, and health service utilization among adolescent women.

This article examines relationships among socioeconomic status (SES), depression, and health services utilization among 5,735 adolescent women. In cross-sectional analyses, effects of SES on having obtained a routine physical examination and use of psychological/emotional counseling in the past year are examined. Then, longitudinal analyses determine the effects of health service utilization on depression at 1 year follow-up (T2) controlling for baseline depression and SES. SES was associated with medical but not mental health service use. SES and health service use independently predicted T2 depression and an income x baseline depression interaction was noted. The findings and their implications are discussed.     

The causes of racial and ethnic differences in influenza vaccination rates among elderly Medicare beneficiaries

OBJECTIVE: To explore three potential causes of racial/ethnic differences in influenza vaccination rates in the elderly: (1) resistant attitudes and beliefs regarding vaccination by African-American and Hispanic Medicare beneficiaries, (2) poor access to care during influenza vaccination weeks, and (3) discriminatory behavior by providers. DATA SOURCES: Medicare beneficiaries who responded to both the 1995 and 1996 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) (n=6,746). STUDY DESIGN: We combined survey information from the MCBS with Medicare claims. We measured resistance to vaccination by self-reported reasons for not receiving vaccination, access to care by claims submitted during vaccination weeks, and discrimination by racial differences in vaccinations among beneficiaries who visited the same providers during vaccination weeks. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: White beneficiaries (66.6 percent) were more likely to self-report having received vaccination than were African Americans (43.3 percent) or Hispanics (52.5 percent). Resistance to vaccination plays a role in low vaccination rates of African-American (-11.8 percentage points), but not Hispanic beneficiaries. Unequal access accounts for <2 percent of the disparity. Minority beneficiaries remained unvaccinated despite having medical encounters with their usual providers on days when those same providers were administering vaccinations to white beneficiaries. This disparity is attributable not to provider discrimination but to a 1.6-5 x higher likelihood of white beneficiaries initiating encounters for the purpose of receiving vaccination. CONCLUSION: Disparities in access to care and provider discrimination play little role in explaining racial/ethnic disparities in influenza vaccination. Eliminating missed opportunities for vaccination in 1995 would have raised vaccination rates in three racial/ethnic groups to the Healthy People 2000 goal of 60 percent vaccination.     

Insurance, acculturation, and health service utilization among Korean-Americans

This study describes the pattern and predictors of ambulatory care utilization among Korean Americans (KAs) living in Los Angeles. Data were gathered via a mail survey. Analysis employed a two-part model: logit model for factors affecting any health care use and truncated negative binomial model for frequency of use given one visit. Use of ambulatory care among KAs was low (2.80 visits during prior 12 months), compared to their counterparts in South Korea and the U.S. population. Variables associated with higher utilization included old age, health needs, and health insurance. Income had a positive effect on health care utilization decisions among the uninsured. Acculturation appeared to be neither a strong nor consistent predictor of ambulatory care utilization among KAs. Of particular concern is the finding that KAs suffer from inadequate access to care due to lack of employment-based health insurance.     

老年居民对社区卫生服务利用及满意度调查

目的 了解山西省太原市老年居民对社区卫生服务利用及满意情况,为开展社区卫生服务工作提供依据.方法 采用整群随机抽样方法对太原市4个社区卫生服务站257名65岁以上就诊老年居民进行面对面询问调查.采用SPSS 11.5统计软件描述频数分布,利用累加Logistic回归模型进行因素分析.结果 到社区卫生服务站就诊者中,老年女性、低文化程度、低家庭收入占多数,首选社区卫生服务机构就诊者中医疗费用负担方式以自费占绝大多数(71.8%).就诊目的以开药(80.2%)、诊疗(32.7%)、输液(32.7%)为主,就诊原因主要是快捷方便(60.0%)、离家近(45.9%)、解决小病(17.9%)、态度好(16.7%)等,对社区卫生服务机构总体满意度为46.3%.累加Logistic回归分析结果显示:影响老年人医疗服务满意度因素为性别、文化程度、经济收入、医疗费用负担方式、首诊地点选择.结论 社区老年居民对健康保健服务需求较高,对社区卫生服务较为满意认可,医疗服务质量有待进一步提高.     

中国老年残疾人口康复服务利用现状及影响因素分析

目的：探索中国老年残疾人口康复服务利用现状及其影响因素。方法：使用第二次全国残疾人抽样调查数据。应用卡方检验分析老年群体间康复服务利用差异。应用多因素logistic回归模型分析老年残疾人口康复服务利用的影响因素。结果：老年残疾人口康复服务利用率(45.82%)远低于需求率(96.89%),各项康复服务均存在较大需求与利用缺口。罹患听力残疾、中轻度残疾(三、四级)、高龄(≥80)、离婚或丧偶对老年残疾人口利用康复服务有抑制作用;残疾类型为肢体残疾或精神残疾、男性、未婚、居住在城镇、有残疾人证、有社会保险、较高的受教育水平和户人均年收入对其服务利用有促进作用。不同因素在城乡间作用方向一致,作用程度存在差异。结论：中国老年残疾人口康复服务需求尚未得到较好满足。基本人口特征、家庭特征、社会环境支持、残疾状态均影响其康复服务利用。应落实残疾报告制度;统筹康复服务资源配置;开展老年群体的健康评估与跟踪;加快完善康复服务项目的医疗保障范畴,建立以功能恢复为导向的支付原则。     

流动老年人健康状况及医疗服务利用影响因素分析

目的:了解我国流动老年人健康状况及医疗服务利用现状,分析流动老年人医疗服务利用的影响因素,为提高流动老年人健康状况提供建议。方法:使用"2015年全国流动人口卫生计生动态监测调查"数据,以Anderson模型为理论框架,使用两分类Logistic回归模型对医疗服务利用影响因素进行实证分析。结果:5 164名流动老年人中,健康或基本健康、患有医生确诊的高血压或糖尿病的流动老年人比例分别为88.57%、16.00%;年龄、家庭收入、本地朋友数量及是否患有慢性病对平时生小病是否就医有影响(P0.05);年龄、基本医疗保险、本地朋友数量、自评健康状况及是否患有慢性病对住院服务利用有显著影响(P0.05)。建议:"三保合一"有望改善流动老年人医疗保险保障作用;加强流动老年人家庭及社会支持建设;做好预防医疗服务具有较好成本效益;关注流动老年人医疗服务利用公平性。     

Antibiotic treatment patterns,costs, and resource utilization among patients with community acquired pneumonia: a US cohort study

Objectives: The current treatment options for patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) often present a trade-off between the potential for treatment failure and safety concerns. We set out to investigate real-world outcomes associated with the use of currently available antimicrobial treatment options for CAP in both the outpatient and inpatient (non-intensive care unit [ICU]) settings.

Methods: This claims-based retrospective study included adult patients diagnosed with CAP and treated with antibiotic therapies, including any oral fluoroquinolone, macrolide, or beta-lactam monotherapy in the outpatient setting, and intravenous (IV) levofloxacin or IV azithromycin/ceftriaxone in the inpatient setting. Generalized linear model (GLM) regression was used to determine total charges for inpatient stay, the length of stay, and days of inpatient therapy. For outpatients, rates of adverse events (AEs), treatment failure, and hospitalization were compared by type of initial antibiotic therapy using logistic regression multivariate models that controlled for baseline characteristics.

Results: A total of 441,820 outpatients and 33,287 inpatients treated for CAP between 2007 and 2012 were included in this analysis. In the outpatient setting, fluoroquinolone therapy led to a higher rate of documented AEs (adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 1.23; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.20–1.25; p < 0.0001) but a lower rate of retreatment (adjusted OR: 0.9; 95% CI: 0.87–0.94; p < 0.0001) compared with macrolides. Both AEs and retreatment in these patients were associated with increased costs. For patients treated with the IV macrolide/beta-lactam combination compared with IV fluoroquinolone in the inpatient setting, a significantly longer length of stay in hospital (4.71 vs. 4.38 days; p < 0.0001) and greater overall costs ($3,535 more per stay; p < 0.0001) were observed.

Conclusion: In both the inpatient and outpatient settings, the development of additional efficacious treatment options that have a reduced AE burden for patients with CAP may be warranted.