Is longer waiting time associated with health and social services utilization before treatment? A randomized study

2007 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 209-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johanna Hirvonen ◽  
Marja Blom ◽  
Ulla Tuominen ◽  
Seppo Seitsalo ◽  
Matti Lehto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Services ◽  
Informal Care ◽  
Home Health Care ◽  
Waiting Time ◽  
Joint Replacement ◽  
Randomized Study ◽  
Utilization Rate ◽  
Services Utilization ◽  
Health And Social Services ◽  
Joint Replacement Surgery

Objective: To determine whether longer waiting time for major joint replacement is associated with health and social services utilization before treatment. Methods: When placed on the waiting list, patients were randomized to short (≤3 months) or a non-fixed waiting time. Utilization measures were the use of home health care, rehabilitation and social services before treatment. Results: A total of 833 patients with osteoarthritis of the hip or knee joint were recruited into the study. Six hundred and twenty-two patients were included in the analysis. The majority of patients were not using any services before hospital admission for joint replacement surgery. The most commonly used service was unpaid home help provided by relatives, neighbours, friends and volunteers (informal care). In both groups, private support services were utilized more often than public ones. Patients with a short waiting time were more likely than those with a non-fixed waiting time to use rehabilitation (13.5% versus 8.2%, P = 0.032) and visiting care services (7.5% versus 3.9%, P = 0.054). Conclusions: Only a few patients used professional care. They were more likely to require informal care during the waiting time. A longer waiting time did not result in a higher utilization rate before admission for treatment.

scholarly journals Custos Associados à Prestação Informal de Cuidados a Pessoas com Demência

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (13) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cátia Luz Pires ◽  
Natália Duarte ◽  
Constança Paúl ◽  
Oscar Ribeiro
Keyword(s):  
Social Services ◽  
Informal Care ◽  
Family Income ◽  
Health Sector ◽  
Good Method ◽  
Care Recipient ◽  
Health And Social Services ◽  
Continuous Care ◽  
The Family ◽  
Use Of Services

Introduction: From a perspective that considers the costs borne by the informal caregiver and the care-recipient, this study quantifies and values the use of health and social services, and the time dedicated to caregiving in dementia situations.Material and Methods: Sociodemographic information and use of services was obtained from 123 caregiving dyads. Costs with informal care were evaluated and valued considering the Health Sector (health services), Patient/Family Sector (time of caregiving) and Other Sectors (social services, continuous care, other private services). Costs with health and social services considered the paying person; the Patient/Family Sector was valued through the proxy-good method. The costs were calculated per month and the value for 100 dyads.Results: The total cost of informal care was €61 982.2/month per 100 dyads. The Patient/Family Sector value (€44 030.0/month) contributed with 71.0% of the total costs, Other Sectors with 20.8% (€12 887.4/month), and the Health Sector with 8.2% (€5064.8/month).Discussion: The obtained value per dyad (€619.8/month) represents 77.5% of their monthly income (median = €800.0; interquartile range = 679.0), which can limit the decision of continuing the care provision at home. Considering the values presented for this specific sample, it is estimated that the exemption of fees in the Health Sector and/or benefits in social services may contribute to a downward estimate of the costs.Conclusion: Regardless of the complexity in estimating the costs associated with informal caregiving in dementia, this paper provides some insights on the burden they can represent for the family income.

Patterns of Health and Social Services Utilization

1989 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
François Béland
Keyword(s):  
Health Status ◽  
Social Services ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Support Network ◽  
Pension Scheme ◽  
Small Subset ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Services Utilization ◽  
Health And Social Services ◽  
Two Samples

ABSTRACTUtilization of an array of health and social services from formal and informal sources is studied here 1) to identify profiles of services utilization and 2) to predict the location of elderly in these profiles by a set of independent variables such as the sociodemographic characteristics of the elderly, their physical and mental health status and the density of their social support network. Two samples of non-institutionalized elderly living in two middle-sized towns were drawn from the universal old-age Canadian pension scheme. Their utilization of hospital, medical and pharmaceutical services was assessed, and their use of services for help with adivities of daily living was measured by a set of six indicators. A cluster analysis was run to identify profites of services utilization, and a discriminant analysis used the profiles as the criterion to be predicted by a set of variables. Five profiles of utilization were obtained; four of them identified elderly with very few experiences of services utilization and a fifth, a low number of elderly with utilization of all of the services listed in this study. Most of the elderly were users of a small subset of medical and social services. The location of elderly in the profiles was predicted by physical health status, coresidence and income. These results show that health and social services from both formal and informal sources are utilized by elderly. It is suggested that new types of formal agencies which consider the simultaneous delivery of social and health services will succeed inasmuch as they have the ability to interact with a system of informal care.

scholarly journals Being Pro-Active in Meeting the Needs of Suicide-Bereaved Survivors: results from a systematic audit in Montréal

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabienne LIGIER ◽  
Jessica Rassy ◽  
Gabrielle Fortin ◽  
Ian van Haaster ◽  
Claude Doyon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Services ◽  
Unmet Needs ◽  
Unmet Need ◽  
Information Support ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Services Utilization ◽  
Health And Social Services ◽  
Pathological Grief ◽  
Suicide Bereaved

Abstract Background: Suicide is a major public health concern. In 2017, the suicide rate in Canada was 11 per 100 000 inhabitants. According to literature, 1 in 5 people have experienced a death by suicide during their lifetime. The aim of this study was to describe the met and unmet needs of suicide-bereaved survivors and to provide postvention recommendations. Methods: Further to an exploratory mixed-method audit of 39 suicides that occurred in Montreal (Canada) in 2016, suicide-bereaved survivors (n = 29) participated in semi-structured interviews and completed instruments to discuss and assess potential pathological grief, depression (PHQ-9), and anxiety (GAD-7), as well as health and social services utilization. A panel then reviewed each case and provided recommendations. The mean age of participants was 57.7 years and 23 were women.Results: Although help was offered initially, in most cases by a health professional or service provider (16/29), 22 survivors would have liked to be contacted by telephone in the first two months post suicide. Four categories of individual unmet needs (medical/pharmacological, information, support, and outreach) and one collective unmet need (suicide pre/postvention training and delivery) emerged. Conclusions: Although Quebec provincial services have been developed and offered to suicide-bereaved survivors in the past decade, many dwindled over time and none has been applied systematically. Recommendations for different stakeholders (Ministry of Health and Social Services, coroners, NGOs, and representatives of suicide-bereaved survivors) outlined in this study could be an interesting first step to help develop a suicide pre/postvention strategy.

scholarly journals Being pro-active in meeting the needs of suicide-bereaved survivors: results from a systematic audit in Montréal

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabienne Ligier ◽  
Jessica Rassy ◽  
Gabrielle Fortin ◽  
Ian van Haaster ◽  
Claude Doyon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Services ◽  
Unmet Needs ◽  
Unmet Need ◽  
Information Support ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Services Utilization ◽  
Health And Social Services ◽  
Pathological Grief ◽  
Suicide Bereaved

Abstract Background Suicide is a major public health concern. In 2017, the suicide rate in Canada was 11 per 100,000 inhabitants. According to literature, 1 in 5 people have experienced a death by suicide during their lifetime. The aim of this study was to describe the met and unmet needs of suicide-bereaved survivors and to provide postvention recommendations. Methods Further to an exploratory mixed-method audit of 39 suicides that occurred in Montreal (Canada) in 2016, suicide-bereaved survivors (n = 29) participated in semi-structured interviews and completed instruments to discuss and assess potential pathological grief, depression (PHQ-9), and anxiety (GAD-7), as well as health and social services utilization. A panel then reviewed each case and provided recommendations. The mean age of participants was 57.7 years and 23 were women. Results Although help was offered initially, in most cases by a health professional or service provider (16/29), 22 survivors would have liked to be contacted by telephone in the first 2 months post suicide. Four categories of individual unmet needs (medical/pharmacological, information, support, and outreach) and one collective unmet need (suicide pre/postvention training and delivery) emerged. Conclusions Although Quebec provincial services have been developed and offered to suicide-bereaved survivors in the past decade, many dwindled over time and none has been applied systematically. Recommendations for different stakeholders (Ministry of Health and Social Services, coroners, NGOs, and representatives of suicide-bereaved survivors) outlined in this study could be an interesting first step to help develop a suicide pre/postvention strategy.

Depression in the Developing World

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harry Minas
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
International Development ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Development Programs ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Health And Social Services ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Culturally Informed ◽  
Global Understanding

This chapter provides an overview of what is known about prevalence, social determinants, treatment, and course and impact of depression in developing, or low- and middle-income, countries. The importance of culture in depression and in the construction and application of diagnostic classifications and in health and social services is highlighted, with a particular focus on the applicability of ‘Western’ diagnostic constructs and service systems in developing country settings. The role of international organizations, such as WHO, and international development programs, such as the SDGs, in improving our understanding of depression and in developing effective and culturally appropriate responses is briefly examined. There is both a need and increasing opportunities in developing countries for greater commitment to mental health of populations, increased investment in mental health and social services, and culturally informed research that will contribute to improved global understanding of mental disorders in general and depression in particular.

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