Publication: FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH HEALTHCARE UTILIZATION AMONG OLDER PERSONS IN JOHOR REGION
Date
2021
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Publisher
International Medical University
Abstract
The quantification or description of people's use of healthcare services for the aim of preventing and curing health issues, improving health and well-being, or obtaining information about their condition and prognosis of health is known as healthcare utilisation. Population ageing is a widespread, global phenomena with societal and national consequences. To deal with this demographic trend, there is a necessity for more financial resources to be allocated to healthcare services. A previous study carried out in Malaysia on healthcare utilization among older persons was focused on Northern region only but not in the southern region. Utilization of outpatient services and in-patient services among older persons is not documented in the Johor region unlike northern region of Malaysia. Hence, the objective of this study was to investigate the factors that influence healthcare utilization among older persons in Johor region using Andersen’s behavioural model. A survey was carried out among those aged 65 and above in urban and rural region of Johor. Inpatient care was significantly justified by predisposing, enabling and need factors while outpatient care was more significantly justified by predisposing factor as well as need factor than enabling factor. Theoretical and practical implications for delivering health services to older persons in Johor are proposed in this study. Additionally, assessing the general characteristics of older persons by focusing on their health-care utilisation gives information for developing health-care programs and policies in light of the recent rise in health-care concerns.
Keywords: Healthcare utilization; Predisposing factors; Enabling factors; Need factors;
Description
Keywords
Delivery of Health Care, Aged, Ambulatory Care, Inpatients, Causality