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Practice variation in the Dutch long-term care and the role of supply-sensitive care: Is access to the Dutch long-term care equitable?

ABSTRACT: Universal access and generous coverage are important goals of the Dutch long-term care (LTC) system. It is a legal requirement that everyone eligible for LTC should be able to receive it. Institutional care (IC) made up for 90% of Dutch LTC spending. To investigate whether access to IC is as equitable as the Dutch government aspires, we explored practice variation in entitlements to IC across Dutch regions. We used a unique dataset that included all individual applications for Dutch LTC in January 2010-December 2013 (N?=?3,373,358). This dataset enabled an accurate identification of the need for care. We examined the local variation in the probability of being granted long-term IC and in the intensity of the care granted given that individuals have applied for LTC. We also investigated whether the variation observed was related to differences in the local availability of care facilities. Although our analyses indicated the presence of some practice variation, its magnitude was very small by national and international standards (up to 3%). Only a minor part of the practice variation could be accounted for by local supply differences in care facilities. Overall, we conclude that, unlike many other developed countries, the Dutch system ensured equitable access to long-term IC.

SUBMITTER: Duell D

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5811918 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Practice variation in the Dutch long-term care and the role of supply-sensitive care: Is access to the Dutch long-term care equitable?

Duell Daisy D Koolman Xander X Portrait France F

Health economics 20170302 12

Universal access and generous coverage are important goals of the Dutch long-term care (LTC) system. It is a legal requirement that everyone eligible for LTC should be able to receive it. Institutional care (IC) made up for 90% of Dutch LTC spending. To investigate whether access to IC is as equitable as the Dutch government aspires, we explored practice variation in entitlements to IC across Dutch regions. We used a unique dataset that included all individual applications for Dutch LTC in Janua ...[more]

PMID: 28251712

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Project description:BackgroundLong-term care is often associated with high health care expenditures. In the Netherlands, an ageing population will likely increase the demand for long-term care within the near future. The development of risk profiles will not only be useful for projecting future demand, but also for providing clues that may prevent or delay long-term care utilization. Here, we report our identification of predictors of long-term care utilization in a cohort of hospital patients aged 65+ following their discharge from hospital discharge and who, prior to hospital admission, were living at home.MethodsThe data were obtained from three national databases in the Netherlands: the national hospital discharge register, the long-term care expenses register and the population register. Multinomial logistic regression was applied to determine which variables were the best predictors of long-term care utilization. The model included demographic characteristics and several medical diagnoses. The outcome variables were discharge to home with no formal care (reference category), discharge to home with home care, admission to a nursing home and admission to a home for the elderly.ResultsThe study cohort consisted of 262,439 hospitalized patients. A higher age, longer stay in the hospital and absence of a spouse were found to be associated with a higher risk of all three types of long-term care. Individuals with a child had a lower risk of requiring residential care. Cerebrovascular diseases [relative risk ratio (RRR) = 11.5] were the strongest disease predictor of nursing home admission, and fractures of the ankle or lower leg (RRR = 6.1) were strong determinants of admission to a home for the elderly. Lung cancer (RRR = 4.9) was the strongest determinant of discharge to the home with home care.ConclusionsThese results emphasize the impact of age, absence/presence of a spouse and disease on long-term care utilization. In an era of demographic and epidemiological changes, not only will hospital use change, but also the need for long-term care following hospital discharge. The results of this study can be used by policy-makers for planning health care utilization services and anticipating future health care needs.

Project description:BackgroundRural access to health care remains a challenge in Sub-Saharan Africa due to urban bias, social determinants of health, and transportation-related barriers. Health systems in Sub-Saharan Africa often lack equity, leaving disproportionately less health center access for the poorest residents with the highest health care needs. Lack of health care equity in Sub-Saharan Africa has become of increasing concern as countries enter a period of simultaneous high infectious and non-communicable disease burdens, the second of which requires a robust primary care network due to a long continuum of care. Bicycle ownership has been proposed and promoted as one tool to reduce travel-related barriers to health-services among the poor.MethodsAn accessibility analysis was conducted to identify the proportion of Ugandans within one-hour travel time to government health centers using walking, bicycling, and driving scenarios. Statistically significant clusters of high and low travel time to health centers were calculated using spatial statistics. Random Forest analysis was used to explore the relationship between poverty, population density, health center access in minutes, and time saved in travel to health centers using a bicycle instead of walking. Linear Mixed-Effects Models were then used to validate the performance of the random forest models.ResultsThe percentage of Ugandans within a one-hour walking distance of the nearest health center II is 71.73%, increasing to 90.57% through bicycles. Bicycles increased one-hour access to the nearest health center III from 53.05 to 80.57%, increasing access to the tiered integrated national laboratory system by 27.52 percentage points. Significant clusters of low health center access were associated with areas of high poverty and urbanicity. A strong direct relationship between travel time to health center and poverty exists at all health center levels. Strong disparities between urban and rural populations exist, with rural poor residents facing disproportionately long travel time to health center compared to wealthier urban residents.ConclusionsThe results of this study highlight how the most vulnerable Ugandans, who are the least likely to afford transportation, experience the highest prohibitive travel distances to health centers. Bicycles appear to be a "pro-poor" tool to increase health access equity.

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Project description:ObjectivesUsing the 'Four Delay' framework, our study aimed to identify and explore barriers to accessing quality injury care from the injured patients', caregivers' and community leaders' perspectives.DesignA qualitative study assessing barriers to trauma care comprising 20 in-depth semistructured interviews and 4 focus group discussions was conducted. The data were analysed thematically.SettingThis qualitative study was conducted in Rwanda's rural Burera District, located in the Northern Province, and in Kigali City, the country's urban capital, to capture both the rural and urban population's experiences of being injured.ParticipantsPurposively selected participants were individuals from urban and rural communities who had accessed injury care in the previous 6 months or cared for the injured people, and community leaders. Fifty-one participants, 13 females and 38 males ranging from 21 to 68 years of age participated in interviews and focus group discussions. Thirty-six (71%) were former trauma patients with a wide range of injuries including fractured long bones (9, 45%), other fractures, head injury, polytrauma (3, 15% each), abdominal trauma (1, 5%), and lacerations (1, 5%), while the rest were caregivers and community leaders.ResultsMultiple barriers were identified cutting across all levels of the 'Four Delays' framework, including barriers to seeking, reaching, receiving and remaining in care. Key barriers mentioned by participants in both interviews and focus group discussions were: lack of community health insurance, limited access to ambulances, insufficient number of trauma care specialists and a high volume of trauma patients. The rigid referral process and lack of decentralised rehabilitation services were also identified as significant barriers to accessing quality care for injured patients.ConclusionsFuture interventions to improve access to injury care in Rwanda must be informed by the identified barriers along the spectrum of care, from the point of injury to receipt of care and rehabilitation.

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Practice variation in the Dutch long-term care and the role of supply-sensitive care: Is access to the Dutch long-term care equitable?

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Practice variation in the Dutch long-term care and the role of supply-sensitive care: Is access to the Dutch long-term care equitable?

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