Health Service Utilization Equity Study Between Empty-nested Elderly People And Normal Elderly Old People In Gansu Province

Purpose: To analyze the empty nest effect to the medical service utilization equity with the method of econometrics,and make policy suggestions to improve the equity and availability of medical service utilization for empty nested elderly people.Method: Research data is from family health enquiry of the fifth national health service survey in Gansu province;Logistic analysis method is applied to analysis different factors effect on outpatient service and hospitalization service for empty-nested and normal elderly people.Result: Two-week prevalence rate for empty-nested and normal elderly people respectively is 36.44% and 21.35%;Prevalence rate of chronic disease for empty-nested and normal elderly people respectively is 32.58% and 15.53%;Hospitalizing rate within two-weeks respectively is 33.87% and 38.1%;Self-treatment rate for empty-nested and normal elderly people respectively is 34.56% and 40.9%;Hospitalization rate for emptynested and normal elderly people respectively is 20.9% and 8.69%;Non-hospitalization rate for empty-nested and normal elderly people who should be in hospital respectively is 2.69% and 1.24%.Conclusion: 1)The need for basic health service is different for empty-nested elderly people and normal elderly people,and empty-nested elderly people have more needing for it.Chronic disease is the main factor.2)Utilization of health service is different for empty-nested and normal elderly people,and empty-nested elderly people have lower health service utilization rate which is mainly caused by financial difficulty.3)Compared to normal elderly people,relative inequality in health service utilization exist in empty-nested elderly people.4)High attentions should pay to the health service difference in different social strata empty-nested and normal elderly people.5)The corresponding department should improve the health service utilization level,give more concern to empty-nested elderly people and really improve the equity and availability of medical service utilization.