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Villagrán Castro KN, Hernández Rincón EH, García Zárate G, Jaimes Peñuela CL. [Communication with a culturally and linguistically diverse population from Primary Care]. Semergen 2024; 50:102149. [PMID: 38157756 DOI: 10.1016/j.semerg.2023.102149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
The care of a culturally and linguistically diverse population is a challenge in primary health care due to language barriers and cultural differences. For this reason, good communication and cultural competence of health personnel is key within medical consultation. Thus, during consultations with this group of people, it is the doctor's duty to identify the patient's culture, their perception of the concept of health, in what way and to what extent they want to be informed, and the role they want to assign to the members of their family before the treatment process begins. For this reason, there are interventions that seek to optimize the care provided to these patients and mitigate the cultural barrier, including the use of multimodal digital tools, the use of translators or interpreters, and training of health personnel in communication and intercultural skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- K N Villagrán Castro
- Médica de Atención Primaria, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Sabana, Chía, Cundinamarca, Colombia
| | - E H Hernández Rincón
- Médico, Máster en Investigación en Atención Primaria, Doctor en Investigación Clínica, Departamento de Medicina Familiar y Salud Pública, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Sabana, Chía, Cundinamarca, Colombia.
| | - G García Zárate
- Médica de Atención Primaria, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Sabana, Chía, Cundinamarca, Colombia
| | - C L Jaimes Peñuela
- Médica, especialista en Medicina Familiar y Comunitaria, Máster en Educación Médica, Departamento de Medicina Familiar y Salud Pública, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Sabana, Chía, Cundinamarca, Colombia
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Acquadro-Pacera G, Valente M, Facci G, Molla Kiros B, Della Corte F, Barone-Adesi F, Ragazzoni L, Trentin M. Exploring differences in the utilization of the emergency department between migrant and non-migrant populations: a systematic review. BMC Public Health 2024; 24:963. [PMID: 38580984 PMCID: PMC10996100 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-18472-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Migrants face several barriers when accessing care and tend to rely on emergency services to a greater extent than primary care. Comparing emergency department (ED) utilization by migrants and non-migrants can unveil inequalities affecting the migrant population and pave the way for public health strategies aimed at improving health outcomes. This systematic review aims to investigate differences in ED utilization between migrant and non-migrant populations to ultimately advance research on migrants' access to care and inform health policies addressing health inequalities. METHODS A systematic literature search was conducted in March 2023 on the Pubmed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. The included studies were limited to those relying on data collected from 2012 and written in English or Italian. Data extracted included information on the migrant population and the ED visit, the differences in ED utilization between migrants and non-migrants, and the challenges faced by migrants prior to, during, and after the ED visit. The findings of this systematic review are reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guidelines. RESULTS After full-text review, 23 articles met the inclusion criteria. All but one adopted a quantitative methodology. Some studies reported a higher frequency of ED visits among migrants, while others a higher frequency among non-migrants. Migrants tend to leave the hospital against medical advice more frequently than the native population and present at the ED without consulting a general practitioner (GP). They are also less likely to access the ED via ambulance. Admissions for ambulatory care-sensitive conditions, namely health conditions for which adequate, timely, and effective outpatient care can prevent hospitalization, were higher for migrants, while still being significant for the non-migrant population. CONCLUSIONS The comparison between migrants' and non-migrants' utilization of the ED did not suggest a clear pattern. There is no consensus on whether migrants access EDs more or less than non-migrants and on whether migrants are hospitalized at a higher or lower extent. However, migrants tend to access EDs for less urgent conditions, lack a referral from a GP and access the ED as walk-ins more frequently. Migrants are also discharged against medical advice more often compared to non-migrants. Findings of this systematic review suggest that migrants' access to care is hindered by language barriers, poor insurance coverage, lack of entitlement to a GP, and lack of knowledge of the local healthcare system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Acquadro-Pacera
- CRIMEDIM - Center for Research and Training in Disaster Medicine, Humanitarian Aid and Global Health, Universià del Piemonte Orientale, Novara, 28100, Italy
| | - Martina Valente
- CRIMEDIM - Center for Research and Training in Disaster Medicine, Humanitarian Aid and Global Health, Universià del Piemonte Orientale, Novara, 28100, Italy
- Department for Sustainable Development and Ecological Transition, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Vercelli, 13100, Italy
| | - Giulia Facci
- CRIMEDIM - Center for Research and Training in Disaster Medicine, Humanitarian Aid and Global Health, Universià del Piemonte Orientale, Novara, 28100, Italy
- Department of Translational Medicine, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara, 28100, Italy
| | | | - Francesco Della Corte
- CRIMEDIM - Center for Research and Training in Disaster Medicine, Humanitarian Aid and Global Health, Universià del Piemonte Orientale, Novara, 28100, Italy
- Department of Translational Medicine, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara, 28100, Italy
| | - Francesco Barone-Adesi
- CRIMEDIM - Center for Research and Training in Disaster Medicine, Humanitarian Aid and Global Health, Universià del Piemonte Orientale, Novara, 28100, Italy
- Department of Translational Medicine, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara, 28100, Italy
| | - Luca Ragazzoni
- CRIMEDIM - Center for Research and Training in Disaster Medicine, Humanitarian Aid and Global Health, Universià del Piemonte Orientale, Novara, 28100, Italy
- Department for Sustainable Development and Ecological Transition, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Vercelli, 13100, Italy
| | - Monica Trentin
- CRIMEDIM - Center for Research and Training in Disaster Medicine, Humanitarian Aid and Global Health, Universià del Piemonte Orientale, Novara, 28100, Italy.
- Department of Translational Medicine, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara, 28100, Italy.
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Mancini V, Borellini M, Belardi P, Colucci MC, Kadinde EY, Mwibuka C, Maziku D, Parisi P, Di Napoli A. Factors associated with hospitalization in a pediatric population of rural Tanzania: findings from a retrospective cohort study. Ital J Pediatr 2024; 50:53. [PMID: 38500138 PMCID: PMC10949679 DOI: 10.1186/s13052-024-01622-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite pediatric acute illnesses being leading causes of death and disability among children, acute and critical care services are not universally available in low-middle income countries, such as Tanzania, even if in this country significant progress has been made in child survival, over the last 20 years. In these countries, the hospital emergency departments may represent the only or the main point of access to health-care services. Thus, the hospitalization rates may reflect both the health system organization and the patients' health status. The purpose of the study is to describe the characteristics of clinical presentations to a pediatric Outpatient Department (OPD) in Tanzania and to identify the predictive factors for hospitalization. METHODS Retrospective cohort study based on 4,324 accesses in the OPD at Tosamaganga Voluntary Agency Hospital (Tanzania). Data were collected for all 2,810 children (aged 0-13) who accessed the OPD services, within the period 1 January - 30 September 2022. The association between the hospitalization (main outcome) and potential confounding covariates (demographic, socio-contextual and clinical factors) was evaluated using univariate and multivariate logistic regression models. RESULTS Five hundred three (11.6%) of OPD accesses were hospitalized and 17 (0.4%) died during hospitalization. A higher (p < 0.001) risk of hospitalization was observed for children without health insurance (OR = 3.26), coming from more distant districts (OR = 2.83), not visited by a pediatric trained staff (OR = 3.58), and who accessed for the following conditions: burn/wound (OR = 70.63), cardiovascular (OR = 27.36), constitutional/malnutrition (OR = 62.71), fever (OR = 9.79), gastrointestinal (OR = 8.01), respiratory (OR = 12.86), ingestion/inhalation (OR = 17.00), injury (OR = 6.84). CONCLUSIONS The higher risk of hospitalization for children without health insurance, and living far from the district capital underline the necessity to promote the implementation of primary care, particularly in small villages, and the establishment of an efficient emergency call and transport system. The observation of lower hospitalization risk for children attended by a pediatric trained staff confirm the necessity of preventing admissions for conditions that could be managed in other health settings, if timely evaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Mancini
- Chair of Pediatrics, NESMOS department, Faculty of Medicine & Psychology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
- Doctors with Africa CUAMM, Iringa, Tanzania
| | | | | | - Maria Carolina Colucci
- Chair of Pediatrics, NESMOS department, Faculty of Medicine & Psychology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Pasquale Parisi
- Chair of Pediatrics, NESMOS department, Faculty of Medicine & Psychology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Anteo Di Napoli
- Epidemiolgy Unit, National Institute for Health Migration and Poverty (INMP), Via di San Gallicano, 25a - 00153, Rome, Italy.
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Hernández-Vásquez A, Bendezu-Quispe G, Azañedo D. Migration Status and Utilization of Healthcare Services Among Venezuelan Immigrants in Peru. J Community Health 2023; 48:1031-1037. [PMID: 37642829 DOI: 10.1007/s10900-023-01276-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In general, migrants in illegal situations encounter a greater barrier to accessing medical care because of their migration status due to not having the required documentation to be able to obtain insurance in the receiving country. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the association between migration status and the use of health services in the Venezuelan population residing in Peru. METHODS Data from the second Survey Directed to the Venezuelan Population Residing in Peru (ENPOVE) of 2022 were analyzed. The dependent variable was use of health services in the last month. The exposure variable was migration status (legal/illegal). Generalized linear models of the Poisson family with link log function were used to obtain crude and adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR), for potential confounding variables. Additionally, we evaluated the association of interest, stratified by gender. FINDINGS Data from 1569 migrants were analyzed. Participants with illegal migration status represented 32.4% (men: 24.3%; women: 36.7%); likewise, 58.1% did not use health services. Illegal migration status was associated with lower health care use (aPR: 0.75; 95%CI: 0.61-0.92). Likewise, after stratifying by sex, the association was maintained only in male migrants (aPR: 0.53; 95%CI: 0.39-0.82) but not in women (aPR: 0.84; 95%CI: 0.67-1.05). CONCLUSION 58.1% of Venezuelan migrants in Peru did not seek medical attention despite having health problems. Having an illegal immigration status leads to a lower probability of using these services, especially in men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akram Hernández-Vásquez
- Centro de Excelencia en Investigaciones Económicas y Sociales en Salud, Vicerrectorado de Investigación, Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola, 550 La Fontana Ave, La Molina, 15024, Peru.
| | | | - Diego Azañedo
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Científica del Sur, Lima, Peru
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Cacciani L, Cesaroni G, Calandrini E, Davoli M, Agabiti N. Covid-19 vaccination among migrants in Rome, Italy. Sci Rep 2023; 13:20890. [PMID: 38017018 PMCID: PMC10684578 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-48273-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Migrants may be susceptible to vaccine barriers and hesitancy. We evaluated the association between migrant status, as measured by the citizenship from a High Migratory Pressure Country (HMPC), and COVID-19 vaccination uptake in the resident population in Rome, Italy. We also investigated sex differences. We followed participants for vaccination against COVID-19 in 2021. We calculated crude- and adjusted-vaccination rates and Cox hazard ratios of vaccination for migrants compared to Italians. Among migrants from HMPCs, we estimated HRs for females compared to males, stratifying by geographical area of origin. Models were adjusted for age and deprivation index and stratified by infection history. In 2021, among 1,731,832 18-64-year-olds, migrants were 55% less likely to uptake at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose than their Italian counterpart. Past SARS-CoV-2 infection reduced the difference between migrants and Italians to 27%. Among migrants from HMPCs, we observed a slight excess of vaccination uptake among females compared to males. Focusing on geographical areas, we observed that only females from central-western Asia were 9% less likely to uptake vaccination than males. Health communication strategies oriented to migrants and considering their different languages, cultures, and health literacy should be adopted for prevention before emergencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Cacciani
- Department of Epidemiology of the Regional Health Service of Lazio, Asl Roma 1, Rome, Italy.
| | - Giulia Cesaroni
- Department of Epidemiology of the Regional Health Service of Lazio, Asl Roma 1, Rome, Italy
| | - Enrico Calandrini
- Department of Epidemiology of the Regional Health Service of Lazio, Asl Roma 1, Rome, Italy
| | - Marina Davoli
- Department of Epidemiology of the Regional Health Service of Lazio, Asl Roma 1, Rome, Italy
| | - Nera Agabiti
- Department of Epidemiology of the Regional Health Service of Lazio, Asl Roma 1, Rome, Italy
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Grossi AA, Puoti F, Masiero L, Troni A, Cianchi T, Maggiore U, Cardillo M. Inequities in Organ Donation and Transplantation Among Immigrant Populations in Italy: A Narrative Review of Evidence, Gaps in Research and Potential Areas for Intervention. Transpl Int 2023; 36:11216. [PMID: 37636900 PMCID: PMC10450150 DOI: 10.3389/ti.2023.11216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
Immigrants from outside Europe have increased over the past two decades, especially in Southern European countries including Italy. This influx coincided with an increased number of immigrants with end-stage organ diseases. In this narrative review, we reviewed evidence of the gaps between native-born and immigrant populations in the Organ Donation and Transplantation (ODT) process in Italy. Consistent with prior studies, despite the availability of a publicly funded health system with universal healthcare coverage, non-European-born individuals living in Italy are less likely to receive living donor kidney transplantation and more likely to have inferior long-term kidney graft function compared with EU-born and Eastern European-born individuals. While these patients are increasingly represented among transplant recipients (especially kidney and liver transplants), refusal rates for organ donation are higher in some ethnic groups compared with native-born and other foreign-born referents, with the potential downstream effects of prolonged waiting times and inferior transplant outcomes. In the process, we identified gaps in relevant research and biases in existing studies. Given the Italian National Transplant Center's (CNT) commitment to fighting inequities in ODT, we illustrated actions taken by CNT to tackle inequities in ODT among immigrant communities in Italy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Agnese Grossi
- Center for Clinical Ethics, Department of Biotechnologies and Life Sciences, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
- Department of Human Sciences, Innovation and Territory, University of Insubria, Como, Italy
| | - Francesca Puoti
- Italian National Transplant Center (CNT), Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Lucia Masiero
- Italian National Transplant Center (CNT), Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessia Troni
- Italian National Transplant Center (CNT), Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Tiziana Cianchi
- Italian National Transplant Center (CNT), Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Umberto Maggiore
- Nephrology Unit, Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università di Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Massimo Cardillo
- Italian National Transplant Center (CNT), Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
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Primieri C, Chiavarini M, Giacchetta I, de Waure C, Bietta C. COVID-19 Vaccination Actual Uptake and Potential Inequalities Due to Socio-Demographic Characteristics: A Population-Based Study in the Umbria Region, Italy. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:1351. [PMID: 37631919 PMCID: PMC10458483 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11081351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Socio-demographic factors are responsible for health inequalities also in vaccination. The aim of this study was to evaluate their role at the population level through a population-based study performed on the whole population entitled to receive COVID-19 vaccines in the Umbria Region, Italy, and registered to the Regional Healthcare Service as of 28 February 2021. Socio-demographic characteristics and vaccination status in terms of uptake of at least one dose of any available vaccine, completion of the primary vaccination cycle and uptake of the booster doses as of 28 February 2022 were collected from the Umbria regional database. The percentage of eligible population who did not initiate the COVID-19 vaccination, complete the full vaccination cycle and get the booster dose was 11.8%, 1.2% and 21.5%, respectively. A younger age, being a non-Italian citizen, and not holding an exemption for chronic disease/disability and a GP/FP were associated with all the endpoints. Females, as compared to males, were more likely to not initiate the vaccination but less likely to not receive the booster dose. On the contrary, the findings did not show a significant association between the deprivation index and the vaccine uptake. The findings, beyond confirming current knowledge at the population level, provide new inputs for better tailoring vaccination campaigns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Primieri
- Local Health Unit 1 of Umbria, Prevention Department, Epidemiology Service, 06126 Perugia, Italy; (C.P.); (C.B.)
| | - Manuela Chiavarini
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Public Health, Section of Hygiene, Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Polytechnic University of the Marche Region, 60121 Ancona, Italy;
| | - Irene Giacchetta
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy;
| | - Chiara de Waure
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy;
| | - Carla Bietta
- Local Health Unit 1 of Umbria, Prevention Department, Epidemiology Service, 06126 Perugia, Italy; (C.P.); (C.B.)
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Ottone M, Bartolini L, Bonvicini L, Giorgi Rossi P. The effect of diabetes on COVID-19 incidence and mortality: Differences between highly-developed-country and high-migratory-pressure-country populations. Front Public Health 2023; 11:969143. [PMID: 36969620 PMCID: PMC10031649 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.969143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The objective of this study was to compare the effect of diabetes and pathologies potentially related to diabetes on the risk of infection and death from COVID-19 among people from Highly-Developed-Country (HDC), including Italians, and immigrants from the High-Migratory-Pressure-Countries (HMPC). Among the population with diabetes, whose prevalence is known to be higher among immigrants, we compared the effect of body mass index among HDC and HMPC populations. A population-based cohort study was conducted, using population registries and routinely collected surveillance data. The population was stratified into HDC and HMPC, according to the place of birth; moreover, a focus was set on the South Asiatic population. Analyses restricted to the population with type-2 diabetes were performed. We reported incidence (IRR) and mortality rate ratios (MRR) and hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) to estimate the effect of diabetes on SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 mortality. Overall, IRR of infection and MRR from COVID-19 comparing HMPC with HDC group were 0.84 (95% CI 0.82-0.87) and 0.67 (95% CI 0.46-0.99), respectively. The effect of diabetes on the risk of infection and death from COVID-19 was slightly higher in the HMPC population than in the HDC population (HRs for infection: 1.37 95% CI 1.22-1.53 vs. 1.20 95% CI 1.14-1.25; HRs for mortality: 3.96 95% CI 1.82-8.60 vs. 1.71 95% CI 1.50-1.95, respectively). No substantial difference in the strength of the association was observed between obesity or other comorbidities and SARS-CoV-2 infection. Similarly for COVID-19 mortality, HRs for obesity (HRs: 18.92 95% CI 4.48-79.87 vs. 3.91 95% CI 2.69-5.69) were larger in HMPC than in the HDC population, but differences could be due to chance. Among the population with diabetes, the HMPC group showed similar incidence (IRR: 0.99 95% CI: 0.88-1.12) and mortality (MRR: 0.89 95% CI: 0.49-1.61) to that of HDC individuals. The effect of obesity on incidence was similar in both HDC and HMPC populations (HRs: 1.73 95% CI 1.41-2.11 among HDC vs. 1.41 95% CI 0.63-3.17 among HMPC), although the estimates were very imprecise. Despite a higher prevalence of diabetes and a stronger effect of diabetes on COVID-19 mortality in HMPC than in the HDC population, our cohort did not show an overall excess risk of COVID-19 mortality in immigrants.
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Lallo C, Pasqualini M, Tomassini C. Trends in the Use of Home LTC Services in Large, Medium and Small Municipalities in Italy: Lessons for the Post-COVID-19 Reappraisal. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022; 19:12796. [PMID: 36232094 PMCID: PMC9566680 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191912796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Italian Long-Term Care is considered largely inadequate, and the recent COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically exposed its limitations. Public Home Care Services in particular were revealed as under-financed and unable to cover the potential demand for care from the older population. But does the type of municipality and its geographic location play a role in creating or mitigating unmet demand? This is the first study addressing this research question in Italy. Our hypothesis is that older people's care preferences and care possibilities may vary between small, medium and metropolitan areas, as will the organisation, funding and availability of services, and the combination will influence (unmet) demand for public home care services. In this paper, using nationally representative survey data collected by the Italian National Statistical Institute in 2003 and 2016, we investigate changes and differences in the use of public and private home care services among people aged 75 or older in Italy by size of the municipality. Our results reveal inequalities in service use between Northern and Southern areas of the country and in particular between metropolitan areas, medium and small municipalities. Such differences reinforce post-pandemic calls for new investment and changes in the design of the Italian Long-Term Care system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Lallo
- Department of Economics, University of Molise, Via F. De Sanctis, 86100 Campobasso, Italy
| | - Marta Pasqualini
- Department MEMOTEF, Sapienza University of Rome, Via del Castro Laurenziano 9, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Cecilia Tomassini
- Department of Economics, University of Molise, Via F. De Sanctis, 86100 Campobasso, Italy
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