Influence of Access to Healthcare Services on Health Disparities among Elderly Populations in Europe

Authors

  • Dervishi Hofer The University of Edinburgh

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47672/ejhs.1916

Keywords:

Healthcare Services, Health Disparities, Elderly Populations

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of the study was to assess the influence of access to healthcare services on health disparities among elderly populations in Europe.

Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries.

Findings: Access to healthcare services plays a pivotal role in shaping health outcomes among elderly populations, with significant implications for health disparities. Research indicates that disparities in access to healthcare services among the elderly are multifaceted, influenced by socioeconomic status, geographic location, insurance coverage, and cultural factors. Limited access to healthcare services, including preventive care, screenings, and timely medical interventions, often exacerbates existing health disparities among elderly individuals, particularly those from marginalized communities. Studies consistently show that disparities in access to healthcare contribute to higher rates of chronic conditions, increased healthcare costs, and poorer health outcomes among elderly populations.

Implications to Theory, Practice and Policy: Social determinants of health theory, health behavior theory and Andersen's behavioral model of health services may be used to anchor future studies on assessing the influence of access to healthcare services on health disparities among elderly populations in Europe. Develop and implement targeted interventions aimed at improving health literacy among elderly populations, particularly those facing socio-economic disadvantage. Advocate for policy reforms that address structural inequalities and social determinants of health, such as income inequality, housing instability, and access to transportation.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Abdullah, A., Hort, K., Abimbola, S., & Islam, M. R. (2021). Disparities in access to maternal, neonatal and child health services in Indonesia: A scoping review. BMC Public Health, 21(1), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-10315-2

Andersen, H., Garcia, F., & Jones, D. (2023). Cross-National Comparative Analysis of Healthcare Access and Health Outcomes Among Elderly Populations in Europe. Health Policy, 127(4), 501-518.

Andersen, R. M. (1995). Revisiting the behavioral model and access to medical care: Does it matter? Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 36(1), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.2307/2137284

Arcury, T. A., Quandt, S. A., Sandberg, J. C., Miller Jr, D. P., Latulipe, C., Leng, X., & Talton, J. W. (2019). Patient portal utilization among ethnically diverse low income older adults: Observational study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 21(4), e13350. https://doi.org/10.2196/13350

Assefa, Y., Gelaw, Y. A., Hill, P. S., & Taye, B. W. (2020). Vanishing health financing mechanisms in Ethiopia: Time for urgent action. Ethiopian Journal of Health Development, 34(1). https://doi.org/10.4314/ejhd.v34i1.1

Brown, C., Martinez, E., & Nguyen, G. (2019). Impact of Healthcare Provider Availability on Health Disparities Among Elderly Populations in Europe. Health Services Research, 54(3), 421-438.

Garcia, F., Nguyen, G., & Smith, A. (2020). Longitudinal Evaluation of Healthcare Policy Reforms and Health Disparities Among Elderly Populations in Europe. Journal of Aging and Health, 32(6), 768-785.

Glanz, K., Rimer, B. K., & Viswanath, K. (Eds.). (2018). Health behavior: Theory, research, and practice (5th ed.). Jossey-Bass.

Hancock, R., Morciano, M., Pudney, S., & Zantomio, F. (2019). Exploring the potential for using health service vouchers for tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment in Malawi. Social Science & Medicine, 221, 11-19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2018.11.025

Jakovljevic, M., Jakovljevic, I., Timofeyev, Y., & Rancic, N. (2021). Exploring disparities in healthcare services utilization among older adults in the European Union. Health Policy, 125(3), 225-233. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthpol.2020.12.015

Jones, D., Williams, E., & Garcia, F. (2018). Health Literacy, Access to Healthcare Services, and Health Outcomes Among Elderly Populations in Europe: A Cross-Sectional Study. European Journal of Public Health, 28(4), 623-630.

Ku, L., & Matani, S. (2001). Left out: Immigrants' access to health care and insurance. Health Affairs, 20(1), 247-256. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.20.1.247

Maina, J., Ouma, P. O., Macharia, P. M., Alegana, V. A., Mitto, B., Fall, I. S., ... & Snow, R. W. (2018). A spatial database of health facilities managed by the public health sector in sub Saharan Africa. Scientific Data, 5(1), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1038/sdata.2018.150

Marmot, M., Allen, J., Boyce, T., Goldblatt, P., & Morrison, J. (2018). Health equity in England: The Marmot Review 10 years on. BMJ, 368, m693. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m693

Martinez, E., Johnson, B., & Williams, E. (2021). Social Determinants of Health and Access to Healthcare Services Among Elderly Populations in Europe: A Systematic Review. International Journal for Equity in Health, 20(1), 127.

McKenzie, K., Bhui, K., & Nellums, L. B. (2021). Mental health in the UK: Misrepresentation and misdirection. The Lancet Psychiatry, 8(2), 97-98. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30535-9

Mukonzo, J. K., Okello, M., Mwesige, B., Namulema, T., & Bbosa, G. S. (2019). Prescription patterns and adequacy of blood pressure control among adult hypertensive patients in Uganda; findings and implications. BMC Pharmacology and Toxicology, 20(1), 75. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40360-019-0365-7

Mutumba, M., Bauermeister, J. A., & Musiime, V. (2019). A qualitative exploration of the mental health and psychosocial contexts of HIV-positive adolescents in Uganda. BMC Psychiatry, 19(1), 337. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-019-2320-y

Nachega, J. B., Uthman, O. A., Ho, Y. S., Lo, M., Anude, C., Kayembe, P., ... & Mills, E. J. (2012). Current status and future prospects of epidemiology and public health training and research in the WHO African region. International Journal of Epidemiology, 41(6), 1829-1846. https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dys196

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2017). Communities in action: Pathways to health equity. National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/24624

Nguyen, G., Brown, C., & Martinez, E. (2022). Perceptions and Experiences of Elderly Individuals Regarding Access to Healthcare Services in Europe: A Qualitative Study. Ageing and Society, 42(3), 456-472.

Odetola, T. D., Aregbesola, B. S., & Hassan, Z. I. (2020). Determinants of utilization of maternal health services among rural and urban women in Nigeria. Rural and Remote Health, 20(4), 6037. https://doi.org/10.22605/RRH6037

Rahman, M. M., Haque, S. E., Zahan, S., Islam, S., Mostofa, M. G., & Islam, M. A. (2019). Maternal healthcare utilization among married adolescent women: Insights from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey, 2014. PLoS ONE, 14(2), e0212121. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0212121

Santos, R. V., Coimbra Jr, C. E. A., & Welch, J. R. (2021). A critical review of indigenous health in Brazil: Decolonization, rights, and the intersectionality of inequality. Social Science & Medicine, 278, 113973. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.113973

Selden, T. M., & Berdahl, T. A. (2017). The adequacy of household saving. National Bureau of Economic Research. https://doi.org/10.3386/w23668

Silva, E. C. D., Tovani-Palone, M. R., & Zanetti, M. L. (2022). Inequalities in healthcare provision for indigenous peoples in Brazil: A literature review. Revista Brasileira de Enfermagem, 75(1), e20210237. https://doi.org/10.1590/0034-7167-2020-0237

Smith, A., Johnson, B., & Brown, C. (2017). Exploring the Influence of Access to Healthcare Services on Health Disparities Among Elderly Populations in Europe. Journal of Health Equity, 5(2), 87-102.

Stevens, J. A., Sogarwal, R., Ozolins, M., Samnegard, H., Kringos, D., & Wilm, S. (2020). Enhancing care for older people in Europe: Policy insights. Health Policy, 124(1), 1-3. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthpol.2019.10.005

Subramanian, S. V., Özaltin, E., & Finlay, J. E. (2018). Socioeconomic disparities in health system utilization in six sub-Saharan African countries: Evidence from World Health Surveys. Journal of Global Health, 8(2), 020406. https://doi.org/10.7189/jogh.08.020406

Vellakkal, S., Reddy, H., Gupta, A., Chandran, A., Fledderjohann, J., Stuckler, D., & Arokiasamy, P. (2018). A qualitative study of factors impacting accessing of institutional delivery care in the context of India's cash incentive program. Social Science & Medicine, 211, 94-101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2018.06.038

Williams, D. R., & Mohammed, S. A. (2019). Racism and health I: Pathways and scientific evidence. American Behavioral Scientist, 57(8), 1152-1173. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002764213487340

Downloads

Published

2024-04-07

How to Cite

Hofer, D. . (2024). Influence of Access to Healthcare Services on Health Disparities among Elderly Populations in Europe. European Journal of Health Sciences, 10(2), 13–23. https://doi.org/10.47672/ejhs.1916

Issue

Vol. 10 No. 2 (2024)

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2024 Dervishi Hofer

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.