Covid-19 and Unmet Medical Needs for People With Chronic Diseases

A Cross-Sectional Study

Bibliographic Data

ID13775439
AuthorsHyunwoo Jung (0000-0001-9711-2233, Yonsei University), Hyun Woo Jung (0000-0001-6799-5987, Yonsei University), Xianhua Che (0000-0001-5029-229X, Daejeon Metropolitan City Public Health Policy Institute, Daejeon, Republic of Korea), Hee‐jung Park (0000-0002-6789-9247, Kangwon National University, Samcheok, Republic of Korea, corresponding author)
Year2022
Volume59
Pages469580221133002-469580221133002
Publication date2022-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueINQUIRY The Journal of Health Care Organization Provision and Financing (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0046-9580 • E-ISSN: 1945-7243
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/00469580221133002
PMID36282084
OpenAlexW4307585234
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited22

Gaps between medical needs and health services accessibility are defined as unmet medical needs (UMN). Previous studies assessing UMNs during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic did not account for factors such as the type of medical insurance or chronic disease. Therefore, this study investigated various factors, including medical insurance and chronic diseases, affecting self-reported UMN during the pandemic in Daejeon Metropolitan City, South Korea. This cross-sectional study was conducted using Daejeon Metropolitan City Health Surveys data from 2020. The weighted prevalence of UMN was estimated among participants (n = 1494) aged ≥18 years, while chi-squared and logistic models were used to assess the association between UMN and participant characteristics. The prevalence of UMN was 6.4% (n = 97). Female sex and low education levels were significantly associated with reporting UMN. Medical aid beneficiaries were less likely to report UMN than adults with National Health Programs coverage. Participants with chronic diseases, such as hypertension and arthritis, and those with depression, were more likely to report UMN than adults without these conditions. The findings highlight the need for targeted efforts to decrease UMN in the COVID-19 pandemic, especially for women and individuals with low education levels. The results also indicate that high-risk disease groups should be targeted with additional enabling services to support the management of chronic conditions

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19 · Cross-sectional study · Disease · Family medicine · Infectious disease (medical specialty · Metropolitan area · Pandemic · Global Health Care Issues · Healthcare Policy and Management · Healthcare Systems and Reforms · Internal Medicine · Medicine · Gerontology

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