Title of article :
Economic Inequality in Outpatient Healthcare Utilization: The Case of Iran
Author/Authors :
Vahedi, Sajad Department of Health Economics - School of Health Management and Information Sciences - Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran , Rezapour, Aziz Health Management and Economics Research Center - Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran , Mohammadbeigi, Abolfazl Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics - Faculty of Health - Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran , Khosravi, Ardeshir Deputy of Public Health - Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran
Pages :
6
From page :
1
To page :
6
Abstract :
Background: One of important goals of any health system is to reduce healthcare inequalities in its jurisdiction. We aimed to track economic inequality in outpatient health care utilization after the healthcare transformation plan in Iran. Study Design: A cross-sectional study. Methods: The data obtained from the Iranian healthcare utilization household survey conducted in 2015. The inequality in health care utilization was assessed through concentrating index, concentration curve, and odds ratio. GIS analysis also was used to show provincial concentration index in the map of Iran. The analysis was performed on more than 14000 subjects aged 15 yr or higher reported outpatient health care service’s needs. Results: The richest to poorest odds ratio of outpatient health care utilization was 1.14 (95%CI: 1.11, 1.17). The concentration index of outpatient healthcare utilization was obtained 0.094 (95%CI: 0.77, 0.11). Although the concentration indices of rural and urban residents were significantly different, there was no significant difference between male and female subject. Provincial and GIS analysis showed that inequality in outpatient healthcare utilization was spatially distributed in Iran. Conclusions: Findings of current study indicate that after the healthcare transformation plan, economic inequality in outpatient healthcare utilization still were pro-rich in Iran as a whole and in some of its provinces.
Keywords :
Healthcare disparities , Health services , Spatial analysis , Iran
Journal title :
Astroparticle Physics
Serial Year :
2018
Record number :
2429568
Link To Document :
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