Skip Navigation

The European Journal of Public Health 1999 9(3):174-180; doi:10.1093/eurpub/9.3.174
© 1999 by European Journal of Public Health
This Article
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow E-letters: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when E-letters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (3)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by NORO, A. M.
Right arrow Articles by LAITINEN, O. J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by NORO, A. M.
Right arrow Articles by LAITINEN, O. J.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH

Determinants of health service use and expenditure among the elderly Finnish population

ANJA M. NORO1,, UNTO T. HÄKKINEN and OLLI J. LAITINEN

1 Health Services Research Unit, National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health Helsinki, Finland

Correspondence: Anja M. Noro, PhD, Senior Researcher, Health Services Research Unit, National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health, P.O. Box 220, FIN-00531 Helsinki, Finland, tel. +358 9 3967 2253, fax +358 9 3967 2485, e-mail: anja.noro{at}stakes.fi

Background: There is a need to identify significant determinants of physician and public health nurse visits, hospital in-patient and home care, use of prescribed medication and total expenditure among elderly people for planning of health policy. Methods: The data were obtained from three annual computer-assisted telephone interview surveys in 1992–1994. Each year a systematic sample of approximately 2,300 non-institutionalized people aged 25-79 years were interviewed. The 60-79 year old respondents were included in our analysis (n=1,707); the response rates in this age group were approximately 75% each year. In this study we tested the suitability of four regression models: Poisson, negative binomial, logit plus zero-truncated Poisson and logit plus zero-truncated negative binomial. Results: The use of services increased with age, particularly hospital in-patient and home care. Although women were more likely to use services, particularly primary care, their share of total expenditure was lower than that for men. Significant predictors of higher expenditure were own personal doctor, other specific doctor, perceived health status, psychosomatic symptoms, chronic illness and difficulties in functional ability. Those living alone had significantly higher expenditures. Conclusion: It emerged that, while a large number of elderly people had used services, only a small minority had accounted for the majority of expenditure. Although the personal doctor system may produce high quality of care, it cannot achieve cost savings.

Keywords: elderly people, expenditure, use of health services


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Health Policy PlanHome page
G. Gotsadze, S. Bennett, K. Ranson, and D. Gzirishvili
Health care-seeking behaviour and out-of-pocket payments in Tbilisi, Georgia
Health Policy Plan., July 1, 2005; 20(4): 232 - 242.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.