Research Of The Health Status And The Health Service Utilization Among The Elderly In Jiangsu

Objective:The purpose of this study is to understand the social demographic characteristics,economic situation and insurance situation of the elderly residents of Jiangsu Province,by analyzing the life quality situation and health service utilization situation,we can explore the major factors influencing the life quality and health service utilization of elderly people,and try to put forward some specific countermeasures and suggestions to improve the health services for the elderly in Jiangsu province.Also,this study will provide the basis for health policy making to improve the health status and health services utilization for elderly population in Jiangsu Province.Meanwhile,the study can provide as a reference for decision for the East region and other provinces and cities nationwide to deal with the challenges in developing medical and health service in an aging societyMethods:The research data come from the data base of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey(CHARLS)in 2015.We select the database of people aged 60 and above for data analysis.We use the European Five-dimension Health Scale(EQ-5D)for the evaluation of the quality of life of the elderly,the EQ-5D index score represents the overall health situation of the elderly,EQ-VAS is for the health self-evaluation,the questionnaire includes the following five dimensions:mobility,self-care ability,ability of daily activities,pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression;we use the Japanese TTO utility value integral system to calculate the health effective value of the elderly in Jiangsu province.We conduct statistical description separately for social demographic characteristics,health status,outpatient service utilization and inpatient service utilization for the elderly in Jiangsu Province;we also use Logistic regression model and multiple stepwise regression analysis for the analysis of factors affecting health service utilization and life quality index score of the elderly in Jiangsu Province.Results:The research results are as follows:(1)chronic disease has become the most important factor affecting the health situation of the elderly;(2)there are differences between urban and rural areas in health services utilization for elderly people;(3)there is a big potential demand for outpatient health service utilization for the elderly;(4)the elderly usually choose general hospital for their treatment and hospitalization;(5)the life quality self-assessment score of the elderly in Jiangsu province is low;(6)social support is an important factor affecting the quality of life for the elderly.Conclusion:Many aspects should be considered to enhance the health service utilization and life quality of the elderly:(1)to improve the basic medical and health system,increase health investment for elderly people;(2)to allocate health resources rationally,improve the service ability of basic medical institutions;promote the unification medical insurance in urban and rural areas,and raise health insurance level of the elderly;(3)to strengthen health education for the elderly,pay attention to comprehensive prevention and control for chronic disease;(4)to build a multi-level social support system,and strengthen the psychological care for the elderly people.