BACKGROUND Healthcare discrimination based on race/ethnicity is associated with decreased healthcare access and utilization among racial/ethnic minority patients. Discrimination based on criminal record may also negatively impact healthcare access and utilization among ex-prisoners. METHODS We conducted a secondary analysis of data from a cross-sectional survey of 172 men recently released fr...

The main question addressed here is the effect of Out of Pocket Payments on the Utilization of Healthcare Services among farmers in Oyo State. A multistage random sampling technique was used to solicit responses from 140 farmers on the type and degree of utilization of the various types of healthcare services available to the farmers, the determinants of Out of Pockets Payments and the factors ...

BACKGROUND China has since the beginning of this millennium engaged in substantial Universal Health Coverage (UHC) reforms. This paper adds evidence on how equity in level of health service utilization changed after UHC reforms. METHODS Our study was based on household survey data from 30 counties in Sichuan province in 2004 and 2011. We introduce an unusual outcome variable, namely level of ...

BACKGROUND The phenomenon of inequitable healthcare utilization in rural China interests policymakers and researchers; however, the inequity has not been actually measured to present the magnitude and trend using nationally representative data. METHODS Based on the National Health Service Survey (NHSS) in 1993, 1998, 2003, and 2008, the Probit model with the probability of outpatient visit an...

OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA SYNDROME (OSAS) IS A COMMON DISORDER RESULTING FROM REPETITIVE CESSATION OF BREATHING DURING SLEEP. OSAS affects approximately 5% of adults,1 but this figure may underestimate the problem because of the increasing worldwide prevalence of obesity.2 Men with OSAS have been reported to use more healthcare resources than matched controls, and treatment with continuous positi...

OBJECTIVES While active surveillance for adverse drug events using electronic medical records (EMRs) and claims data is expanding, these data do not fully capture patient experiences with medication-related symptoms. Our objective was to describe adherence and outcomes associated with an automated pharmacovigilance call. STUDY DESIGN/METHODS Prospective cohort of patients receiving a prescrip...

BACKGROUND Although many studies have analyzed health insurance worldwide, most focus on whole populations rather than specific vulnerable groups. There is a lack of studies that compare different schemes. This paper evaluates the impact of different types of social health insurance and other associated factors on healthcare utilization and costs among middle-aged and elderly Chinese adults. ...

BACKGROUND In low-resource settings, patients' use of multiple healthcare sources may complicate chronic care and clinical outcomes as antiretroviral therapy (ART) continues to expand. However, little is known regarding patterns, drivers and consequences of using multiple healthcare sources. We therefore investigated factors associated with patterns of plural healthcare usage among patients tak...

BACKGROUND Healthcare utilization has particular relevance as a public health and development issue. Unlike material and human capital, there is little empirical evidence on the utility of social resources in overcoming barriers to healthcare utilization in a developing country context. We sought to assess the relevance of social resources in overcoming barriers to healthcare utilization. STU...

BACKGROUND Utilization of services is an important aspect of migrants' access to healthcare. The aim was to review the European literature on utilization of somatic healthcare services related to screening, general practitioner, specialist, emergency room and hospital by adult first-generation migrants. Our study question was: 'Are there differences in migrants' utilization of somatic healthcar...