Unmet Healthcare Needs among the Elderly Korean Population: Before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Unmet healthcare needs (UHN) are an important indicator in healthcare management and require sustainable healthcare systems. This cross-sectional descriptive study aimed to identify differences in UHN among the elderly Korean population before and during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Data...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-08-01
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| Series: | Systems |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-8954/11/9/437 |
| _version_ | 1797576578831482880 |
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| author | Hyo Lyun Roh Sang Dol Kim |
| author_facet | Hyo Lyun Roh Sang Dol Kim |
| author_sort | Hyo Lyun Roh |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Unmet healthcare needs (UHN) are an important indicator in healthcare management and require sustainable healthcare systems. This cross-sectional descriptive study aimed to identify differences in UHN among the elderly Korean population before and during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Data (<i>N</i> = 3371) from the 8th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2019–2020), specifically focusing on adults aged 65 years and older, were analyzed. The overall prevalence of UHN decreased from 8.2% in 2019 to 7.6% in 2020, but there was no statistical significance (<i>p</i> > 0.05). The leading reasons for UHN were cost burden and mild symptoms in 2020 and cost burden in 2019 (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Compared to 2019, the cost burden in 2020 was lower in men than in women (odds ratio [OR] = 0.287, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.113–0.726, <i>p</i> < 0.05), and in the economically active group than in the non-economically active one as to mild symptoms (OR = 0.161, 95% CI: 0.054–0.478, <i>p</i> < 0.05) in multiple logistic regression analyses. In conclusion, these findings imply that sustainable healthcare policies and systems should be tailored to address the targeted population’s healthcare needs, even beyond the COVID-19 era. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T21:54:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e5e7fc799dec405fb46c073fd87c8438 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2079-8954 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T21:54:59Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Systems |
| spelling | doaj.art-e5e7fc799dec405fb46c073fd87c84382023-11-19T13:12:58ZengMDPI AGSystems2079-89542023-08-0111943710.3390/systems11090437Unmet Healthcare Needs among the Elderly Korean Population: Before and during the COVID-19 PandemicHyo Lyun Roh0Sang Dol Kim1Department of Physical Therapy, College of Health Science, Kangwon National University, Samcheok-Si 245-907, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Nursing, College of Health Science, Kangwon National University, Samcheok-Si 245-907, Republic of KoreaUnmet healthcare needs (UHN) are an important indicator in healthcare management and require sustainable healthcare systems. This cross-sectional descriptive study aimed to identify differences in UHN among the elderly Korean population before and during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Data (<i>N</i> = 3371) from the 8th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2019–2020), specifically focusing on adults aged 65 years and older, were analyzed. The overall prevalence of UHN decreased from 8.2% in 2019 to 7.6% in 2020, but there was no statistical significance (<i>p</i> > 0.05). The leading reasons for UHN were cost burden and mild symptoms in 2020 and cost burden in 2019 (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Compared to 2019, the cost burden in 2020 was lower in men than in women (odds ratio [OR] = 0.287, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.113–0.726, <i>p</i> < 0.05), and in the economically active group than in the non-economically active one as to mild symptoms (OR = 0.161, 95% CI: 0.054–0.478, <i>p</i> < 0.05) in multiple logistic regression analyses. In conclusion, these findings imply that sustainable healthcare policies and systems should be tailored to address the targeted population’s healthcare needs, even beyond the COVID-19 era.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-8954/11/9/437COVID-19 pandemicelderly populationhealthcare systemtelemedicineunmet healthcare needs |
| spellingShingle | Hyo Lyun Roh Sang Dol Kim Unmet Healthcare Needs among the Elderly Korean Population: Before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic Systems COVID-19 pandemic elderly population healthcare system telemedicine unmet healthcare needs |
| title | Unmet Healthcare Needs among the Elderly Korean Population: Before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_full | Unmet Healthcare Needs among the Elderly Korean Population: Before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_fullStr | Unmet Healthcare Needs among the Elderly Korean Population: Before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_full_unstemmed | Unmet Healthcare Needs among the Elderly Korean Population: Before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_short | Unmet Healthcare Needs among the Elderly Korean Population: Before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_sort | unmet healthcare needs among the elderly korean population before and during the covid 19 pandemic |
| topic | COVID-19 pandemic elderly population healthcare system telemedicine unmet healthcare needs |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-8954/11/9/437 |
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