3 research outputs found
Choice of emergency health services: an experimental study
The Portuguese national health service (NHS) is expected to provide safe and high quality care 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Everyday, patients with non-life threatening, short-term illnesses or health problems, for which they need convenient treatment or advice, use emergency care departments at hospitals. It is estimated that about one third could have been treated, or advised elsewhere, mainly in primary care (PC), community pharmacies or the national help phone line. This âinappropriateâ use of emergency care departments represents an added cost, and a decreased efficiency for the Portuguese NHS. The literature suggests several explanations, either focusing on the system, or patients. This paper analyses whether a misperception of the severity of the health condition by the patients explain the excess demand. Results show that, in fact, there is an overestimation of the degree of severity of some clinical profiles, and therefore a preference for the use of emergency departments. However, when confronted with the real severity of those clinical profiles, only 50% of the cases change the choice of the emergency department (ED). It can also be derived from the results that socio-demographic characteristics and variables related to experience, with the services, and the clinical profiles are important determinants in the perception of severity of the clinical conditions
Growing old, unhealthy and unequal: an exploratory study on the health of Portuguese individuals aged 50+
NIMA Working PapersIn this study we provide evidence on the health status and the role of gender and socioeconomic inequality in self reported health and morbidity status amongst the elderly in Portugal. We find a negative self-perception of health status amongst the elderly; high prevalence of chronic diseases since an earlier age; high level of
depression problems reported by women; and high levels of disability amongst the oldest old. There are,
nonetheless, substantial differences in health status between age groups that suggest a potential for health gains
in the future.
The prevalence of chronic diseases, mental problems and high disability requires an adequate (re)organization of
healthcare delivery to the elderly. Moreover, the evidence presented clearly calls for a gendered perspective on
health policy, particularly in mental health policy.info:eu-repo/semantics/draf
What do patients want from primary care services?: Final report
MINISTĂRIO DA SAĂDE/ INSA, I.P., Instituto Nacional de SaĂșde Dr. Ricardo Jorg