TY - JOUR
T1 - Investigating unmet need for healthcare using the European Health Interview Survey
T2 - a cross-sectional survey study of Luxembourg
AU - Moran, Valerie
AU - Suhrcke, Marc
AU - Ruiz-Castell, Maria
AU - Barré, Jessica
AU - Huiart, Laetitia
N1 - Funding Information:
Funding The EHIS Luxembourg study was funded by the Luxembourg Ministry of Health Directorate of Health and the Luxembourg Institute of Health. This research was supported by the Luxembourg National Research Fund (C19/BM/13723812).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 BMJ Publishing Group. All rights reserved.
PY - 2021/8/3
Y1 - 2021/8/3
N2 - OBJECTIVES: We investigate the prevalence of unmet need arising from wait times, distance/transportation and financial affordability using the European Health Interview Survey. We explore associations between individual characteristics and the probability of reporting unmet need.DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey conducted between February and December 2014.SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: 4004 members of the resident population in private households registered with the health insurance fund in Luxembourg aged 15 years and over.OUTCOME MEASURES: Six binary variables that measured unmet need arising from wait time, distance/transportation and affordability of medical, dental and mental healthcare and prescribed medicines among those who reported a need for care.RESULTS: The most common barrier to access arose from wait times (32%) and the least common from distance/transportation (4%). Dental care (12%) was most often reported as unaffordable, followed by prescribed medicines (6%), medical (5%) and mental health (5%) care. Respondents who reported bad/very bad health were associated with a higher risk of unmet need compared with those with good/very good health (wait: OR 2.41, 95% CI 1.53 to 3.80, distance/transportation: OR 7.12, 95% CI 2.91 to 17.44, afford medical care: OR 5.35, 95% CI 2.39 to 11.95, afford dental care: OR 3.26, 95% CI 1.86 to 5.71, afford prescribed medicines: OR 2.22, 95% CI 1.04 to 4.71, afford mental healthcare: OR 3.58, 95% CI 1.25 to 10.30). Income between the fourth and fifth quintiles was associated with a lower risk of unmet need for dental care (OR 0.29, 95% CI 0.16 to 0.53), prescribed medicines (OR 0.38, 95% CI 0.17 to 0.82) and mental healthcare (OR 0.17, 95% CI 0.05 to 0.61) compared with income between the first and second quintiles.CONCLUSIONS: Recent and planned reforms to address waiting times and financial barriers to accessing healthcare may help to address unmet need. In addition, policy-makers should consider additional policies targeted at high-risk groups with poor health and low incomes.
AB - OBJECTIVES: We investigate the prevalence of unmet need arising from wait times, distance/transportation and financial affordability using the European Health Interview Survey. We explore associations between individual characteristics and the probability of reporting unmet need.DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey conducted between February and December 2014.SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: 4004 members of the resident population in private households registered with the health insurance fund in Luxembourg aged 15 years and over.OUTCOME MEASURES: Six binary variables that measured unmet need arising from wait time, distance/transportation and affordability of medical, dental and mental healthcare and prescribed medicines among those who reported a need for care.RESULTS: The most common barrier to access arose from wait times (32%) and the least common from distance/transportation (4%). Dental care (12%) was most often reported as unaffordable, followed by prescribed medicines (6%), medical (5%) and mental health (5%) care. Respondents who reported bad/very bad health were associated with a higher risk of unmet need compared with those with good/very good health (wait: OR 2.41, 95% CI 1.53 to 3.80, distance/transportation: OR 7.12, 95% CI 2.91 to 17.44, afford medical care: OR 5.35, 95% CI 2.39 to 11.95, afford dental care: OR 3.26, 95% CI 1.86 to 5.71, afford prescribed medicines: OR 2.22, 95% CI 1.04 to 4.71, afford mental healthcare: OR 3.58, 95% CI 1.25 to 10.30). Income between the fourth and fifth quintiles was associated with a lower risk of unmet need for dental care (OR 0.29, 95% CI 0.16 to 0.53), prescribed medicines (OR 0.38, 95% CI 0.17 to 0.82) and mental healthcare (OR 0.17, 95% CI 0.05 to 0.61) compared with income between the first and second quintiles.CONCLUSIONS: Recent and planned reforms to address waiting times and financial barriers to accessing healthcare may help to address unmet need. In addition, policy-makers should consider additional policies targeted at high-risk groups with poor health and low incomes.
KW - Cross-Sectional Studies
KW - Health Services Accessibility
KW - Health Services Needs and Demand
KW - Humans
KW - Insurance, Health
KW - Luxembourg/epidemiology
KW - Surveys and Questionnaires
KW - international health services
KW - health policy
KW - organisation of health services
KW - health economics
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85112174558&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-048860
DO - 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-048860
M3 - Article
C2 - 34344682
SN - 2044-6055
VL - 11
JO - BMJ Open
JF - BMJ Open
IS - 8
M1 - e048860
ER -