Study On The Demand And Willingness To The Hospital At Home Service And Its Influencing Factors Among The Elderly With Chronic Diseases In Putian City

Objective To investigate the demand and willingness to the hospital at home service among the elderly with chronic diseases in Putian, Fujian, and analyze its influencing factors. Basing on above, to put forward relevant recommendations for the health cause.Methods The questionnaire investigation was carried out during the period of July to September 2006, within urban and rural districts of Putian city. According to the uniform inclusion and exclusion criteria, 700 elderly with chronic diseases (aged 60 years or older) were recruited, who were selected by using three-stage random sampling method. The subjects were interviewed face to face in their own houses by the unified way with questionnaires. The questionnaire mainly comprised of general demographic social characteristics, prevalence of chronic diseases, activity of daily living, family function, self-evaluated health status, the most-often visited medical institution, accessibility and utilization of health care, and the cognition, attitude, demand and willingness to the hospital at home service, et al. The database was established by Epidata3.02. All statistical analyses were done using the SPSS13.0. Descriptive analyses, Chi-square test and multinomial logistic regression analyse were performed in the research. Results In the study, 700 questionnaires were distributed and 652 completed records were obtained. Among the 652 elderly with chronic diseases, 373 were willing to accept the hospital at home service, the willingness ratio was 57.2%. The multiple factor non-conditional logistic regression analyse showed the influencing factors of willingness to the hospital at home service were age, educational level, family economic income, activity of daily living, whether or not cured in the recent two weeks, whether or not be in hospital within the recent one year, whether or not understood hospital at home service previously, whether or not received hospital at home or similar service previously.Conclusions (1)The willingness ratio of accepting the hospital at home service among the elderly with chronic diseases in Putian city was 57.2%. There were several factors lead to the result. Its influencing factors were age, educational level, family economic income, activity of daily living, whether or not cured in the recent two weeks, whether or not be in hospital within the recent one year, whether or not understood hospital at home service previously, whether or not received hospital at home or similar service previously. (2)The community health service centers or hospitals should attach importance to hospital at home service and develop it actively. At the same time, the propaganda of the service should be strengthened as to guide the elderly with chronic diseases to utilize hospital at home service. (3)The management of hospital at home should be enhanced on base of constituting and perfecting a variety of rules and regulations. Further more, the service quality should be improved and the medical safety should be guaranteed to meet the medical demand of the elderly with chronic diseases.