Geographic and socioeconomic equity in PHC performance among the elderly in three Nordic countries

 

Denmark, Finland, and Sweden pursue equity in health for their citizens through universal health care. It is however unclear if these services reach the elderly population equally between different socioeconomic positions (SEP) or living-areas. Our aim was to assess both socioeconomic and geographic equity in primary health care (PHC) performance among the elderly 2000-2015 in the City of Copenhagen, Metropolitan Area of Helsinki, and Stockholm County. Hospitalisations for ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSC) was applied as a proxy for PHC performance. Hospitalization data for population aged ≥45 was acquired from the Danish National Patient Register, Finnish Care Register HILMO and patient administrative register from Stockholm County Council. Over time development of geographical variation in ACSC within each metropolis was analysed with Poisson multilevel models. These models were adjusted with individual SEP to distinguish between geographic and socioeconomic disparities. When compared to Stockholm, incidence rate ratios of ACSCs were higher both in Copenhagen (IRR 1.25; CI 95% 1.17-1.35) and in Helsinki (1.39; 1.30-1.49). While the average effect of time slightly decreased in each of the three capital regions (0.97; 0.96-0.98), this decrease was slightly more pronounced in Helsinki than in Stockholm (0.98; 0.97-0.99). Geographic variation in ACSCs seemed the highest both in Copenhagen and in Helsinki. Over time these variations seemed to reduce in Helsinki and in Stockholm, but not in Copenhagen. Adjusting for individual SEP seemed to explain a half of this variance in Helsinki and a third in both Stockholm and Copenhagen - after which over time geographic variation seemed to reduce also in Copenhagen. Geographic disparities in PHC performance among the elderly seem to have narrowed in Finland and in Sweden but remained stable in Denmark. However, in Denmark this seems to rather reflect socioeconomic disparities than stagnant development of PHC.

Key messages

Despite the universal health care in Denmark, Finland and Sweden, there seems to persist both socioeconomic and geographic disparities in PHC performance among their elderly populations. Among the elderly, over time geographic disparities in PHC performance seem to have improved in both Finland and Sweden – but stagnated in Denmark due to the socioeconomic disparities.

Are ambulatory care sensitive conditions a valid indicator for quality of primary health care?

Background

Hospitalisations due to ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSCs) have been used for assessing access to and quality of primary health care (PHC) in many countries. To assess the validity of ACSCs for assessing PHC performance we carried out a series of studies on regional and sociodemographic variations and time trends in ACSC hospitalisations and related mortality.

Methods

Hospitalisations due to ACSCs in Finland in 1992-2013 came from the national Hospital Discharge Register. The data were linked to population at risk data and individual sociodemographic indicators from Statistics Finland, and subsequently to area indicators of population health and socioeconomics, and health care organisation. Depending on study questions, we analysed ACSCs divided into acute, chronic and vaccine-preventable causes using appropriate statistical methods, such as multilevel Poisson models and trajectory modelling.

Results

We found ACSC hospitalisations to be highly associated to subsequent mortality with 4-10-fold excess 1-year mortality compared to the general population. ACSC hospitalisations showed substantial regional variations which declined over the study period due to decreasing variations in hospitalisations related to chronic ACSCs. The variations were mainly attributed to the hospital district level. In detailed analyses, about a quarter of the variance in ACSC hospitalisations was explained by individual level socioeconomic and health factors. In addition, population health indicators and factors related to hospital care organisation explained up to one third of the variance.

Conclusions

At patient level a hospitalisation due to ACSC is a sentinel event and associated to a high risk of poor health outcomes. However, using ACSC for benchmarking PHC providers should be addressed with caution and differences in sociodemographic factors and (co)morbidity of populations at risk, and regional heath and hospital care arrangements should be taken into account.

Key messages

Variations in hospitalisations due to ambulatory care sensitive conditions may mainly be linked to other factors than access to and quality of primary health care. More research is needed to validate ambulatory care sensitive conditions for use in assessing primary health care.

Individual and area-level factors associated with ambulatory care sensitive conditions in Finland

Background

Geographic variation is common in ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSCs) - used as a proxy indicator for primary care quality. Its use is debated as it is more strongly associated with individual socioeconomic position (SEP) and health status than factors related to primary care. While most earlier studies have been cross-sectional, this study aims to observe if these associations change over time. Finland offers a good possibility for this due to its extensive registers and unexplained over time convergence of geographic variation in ACSC.

Methods

This observational study obtained ACSCs in 2011-2017 from the Finnish Hospital Discharge Register and divided them into subgroups of acute, chronic and vaccine-preventable causes. In these subgroups we analysed geographic variations with a three-level multilevel logistic regression model - individuals, health centre areas (HC) and hospital districts (HD) - and estimated the proportion of the variance at each level explained by individual SEP and comorbidities, as well as both primary care and hospital supply and spatial access at three time points.

Results

In the preliminary results of the baseline geographic variation in total ACSCs in 2011-2013 - the model with age and sex - the variance between HDs was nearly twice that between HCs. Individual SEP and comorbidities explained 46% of the variance between HDs and 29% between HCs; and area-level proportion of ACSC periods in primary care inpatient wards a further 12% and 5%. This evened out the unexplained variance between HDs and HCs.

Conclusions

Geographic variation in ACSCs was more pronounced in hospital districts than in the smaller health centre areas. The excess variance between HDs was explained by individual SEP and health status as well as by use of primary care inpatient wards. Our findings suggest that not only hospital bed supply, but also the national structure of hospital services affects ACSCs. This challenges international ACSC comparisons.

Key messages

Geographic variation in ACSCs concentrated in larger areas with differing population characteristics. The national structure of hospital services, such as use of primary care inpatient wards, affects ACSCs.

Mental disorders and long-term labour market outcomes: nationwide cohort study of 2 055 720 individuals

OBJECTIVE

To examine the associations between an onset of serious mental disorders before the age of 25 with subsequent employment, income and education outcomes.

METHODS

Nationwide cohort study including individuals (n = 2 055 720) living in Finland between 1988-2015, who were alive at the end of the year they turned 25. Mental disorder diagnosis between ages 15 and 25 was used as the exposure. The level of education, employment status, annual wage or self-employment earnings, and annual total income between ages 25 and 52 (measurement years 1988-2015) were used as the outcomes.

RESULTS

All serious mental disorders were associated with increased risk of not being employed and not having any secondary or higher education between ages 25 and 52. The earnings for individuals with serious mental disorders were considerably low, and the annual median total income remained rather stable between ages 25 and 52 for most of the mental disorder groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Serious mental disorders are associated with low employment rates and poor educational outcomes, leading to a substantial loss of total earnings over the life course.

Cause-specific mortality in endometrioid endometrial cancer patients with type 2 diabetes using metformin or other types of antidiabetic medication

AIM

To obtain further evidence of the association between metformin or other types of antidiabetic medication (ADM) and mortality from endometrial cancer (EC) and other causes of death in patients with endometrioid EC and type 2 diabetes (T2D).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A retrospective cohort of women with existing T2D and diagnosed with endometrioid EC from 1998 to 2011, obtained from a nationwide diabetes database (FinDM), were included in the study. Cumulative mortality from EC and that from other causes was described by using the Aalen-Johansen estimator. Cause-specific mortality rates were analyzed by using Cox models, and adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were estimated in relation to the use of different forms of ADM during the three-year period preceding EC diagnosis.

RESULTS

From the FinDM cohort we identified 1215 women diagnosed with endometrioid EC, of whom 19% were metformin users, 12% were users of other types of oral antidiabetic medication, 25% used other types of oral antidiabetic medication plus metformin, 26% used insulin and 14% had no antidiabetic medication. Mortality from EC was not found to be different in women using metformin (HR 0.89, 95% Cl 0.52-1.54) but mortality from other causes was lower (HR 0.52, 95% Cl 0.31-0.88) compared with women using other types of oral ADM.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings are inconclusive as to the possible effect of metformin on the prognosis of endometrioid EC in women with T2D. However, use of metformin may reduce mortality from other causes.

Mortality and life expectancy of people with alcohol use disorder in Denmark, Finland and Sweden

OBJECTIVE

To analyse mortality and life expectancy in people with alcohol use disorder in Denmark, Finland and Sweden.

METHOD

A population-based register study including all patients admitted to hospital diagnosed with alcohol use disorder (1,158,486 person-years) from 1987 to 2006 in Denmark, Finland and Sweden.

RESULTS

Life expectancy was 24-28 years shorter in people with alcohol use disorder than in the general population. From 1987 to 2006, the difference in life expectancy between patients with alcohol use disorder and the general population increased in men (Denmark, 1.8 years; Finland, 2.6 years; Sweden, 1.0 years); in women, the difference in life expectancy increased in Denmark (0.3 years) but decreased in Finland (-0.8 years) and Sweden (-1.8 years). People with alcohol use disorder had higher mortality from all causes of death (mortality rate ratio, 3.0-5.2), all diseases and medical conditions (2.3-4.8), and suicide (9.3-35.9).

CONCLUSION

People hospitalized with alcohol use disorder have an average life expectancy of 47-53 years (men) and 50-58 years (women) and die 24-28 years earlier than people in the general population.

What really happened with pneumonia mortality in Finland in 2000-2008?: a cohort study

This cohort study examines trends in pneumonia mortality in Finland and the effects of a WHO recommendation restricting the registering of pneumonia as the underlying cause of death (COD) for several chronic diseases. All cases having pneumonia in any COD fields in 2000-2008 were extracted from the COD statistics. We examined trends in underlying-cause pneumonia mortality where pneumonia was also the immediate COD. Results are presented as age-specific and age-standardized rates. In the study period 2000-2008, there were 90 626 deaths with pneumonia in COD fields, while the underlying-cause pneumonia mortality rate decreased from 32 to 6/100 000 person-years. Immediate-cause pneumonia was less often chosen as underlying-cause towards 2008 suggesting an effect from changing coding practices. Changes in coding practices need to be considered when comparing different countries or time periods in pneumonia mortality.

Longitudinal trends in consumption of vegetables and fruit in Finnish children in an atherosclerosis prevention study (STRIP)

OBJECTIVE

To assess prospectively the consumption of fruit and vegetables and its' correlation to the parental consumption in boys and girls taking part in an atherosclerosis prevention study (Special Turku Coronary Risk Factor Intervention Project for Children (STRIP) study).

HYPOTHESIS

Nutrition counselling focused on cardiovascular health effects vegetable and fruit consumption.

DESIGN

A prospective, randomised, clinical trial.

SUBJECTS

Children were recruited to the STRIP study between 1989 and 1992. At the age of 7 months, children were randomised to the intervention (n = 540) or the control group (n = 522) and were followed up until the age of 11 years.

INTERVENTION

Families in the intervention group have, since randomisation, received biannual individualised dietary counselling aimed at reduction of cardiovascular risk factors, especially saturated fat intake. Food records were used to assess fruit and vegetable consumption of children and parents.

RESULTS

The percentage of total energy intake provided by fruit and vegetables decreased when the children grew older (P for age <0.001). The 1- to 10-year-old intervention boys consumed more vegetables (mean difference 3.18 g/day; CI 1.48-4.86; P < 0.001) and fruit (mean difference 10.1 g/day; CI 5.28-14.94; P < 0.001) than did the control. Mother's consumption correlated with the consumption of their daughters and sons, whereas father's consumption correlated only with the consumption of their sons.

CONCLUSIONS

Finnish children taking part in the atherosclerosis prevention study had a remarkably low fruit and vegetable consumption, which furthermore decreased with age. The children's consumption correlated with the parental consumption, except between boys and mothers. A slight intervention effect was present only among boys.