Unmet Needs and Healthcare Service Utilization Among Older Adults
Author Information
Author(s): Khan Maham, Sands Laura, Comer Cozette, Hoch Jackson
Primary Institution: Virginia Tech
Hypothesis
Unmet needs among older adults lead to increased healthcare utilization.
Conclusion
Older adults with unmet needs experience significantly higher rates of hospitalization and emergency room visits.
Supporting Evidence
- Individuals with unmet needs experience double the hospitalization rates compared to those with met needs.
- Emergency room visits are 31% higher among those with unmet self-care needs.
- 74% of hospital deaths report having experienced unmet needs at end-of-life.
- Sociodemographic factors like older age and living alone increase risks of healthcare utilization.
Takeaway
When older people don't get the help they need, they end up going to the hospital more often. It's important to help them so they can stay healthy.
Methodology
A systematic review of 6,475 studies was conducted, and eight studies were included for analysis.
Limitations
The review only included studies focusing on non-institutionalized older adults in the U.S.
Participant Demographics
Non-institutionalized older adults in the U.S. with at least one ADL difficulty.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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