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Unmet healthcare needs in Ireland: Analysis using the EU-SILC survey

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  • Connolly, Sheelah
  • Wren, Maev-Ann

Abstract

The analysis used the 2013 Survey of Income and Living Conditions to examine the extent and causes of unmet need for healthcare services in Ireland. The analysis found that almost four per cent of participants reported an unmet need for medical care. Overall, lower income groups, those with poorer health status and those without free primary care and/or private insurance were more likely to report an unmet healthcare need. The impact of income on the likelihood of reporting an unmet need was particularly strong for those without free primary care and/or private insurance, suggesting a role for the health system in eradicating income based inequalities in unmet need. Factors associated with the healthcare system – cost and waiting lists – accounted for the majority of unmet needs. Those with largely free public healthcare entitlement were more likely than all other eligibility categories to report that their unmet need was due to waiting lists (rather than cost). While not possible to explicitly examine in this analysis, it is probable that unmet need due to cost is picking up on the relatively high out-of-pocket payments for primary care for those who must pay for GP visits; while unmet need due to waiting is identifying the relatively long waiting times within the acute hospital sector for those within the public system.

Suggested Citation

  • Connolly, Sheelah & Wren, Maev-Ann, 2017. "Unmet healthcare needs in Ireland: Analysis using the EU-SILC survey," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 121(4), pages 434-441.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:hepoli:v:121:y:2017:i:4:p:434-441
    DOI: 10.1016/j.healthpol.2017.02.009
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    Cited by:

    1. Connolly, Sheelah & Brick, Aoife & O'Neill, Ciarán & O'Callaghan, Michael, 2022. "An analysis of the primary care systems of Ireland and Northern Ireland," Research Series, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), number RS137, June.
    2. Damiano Fiorillo, 2020. "Reasons for unmet needs for health care: the role of social capital and social support in some western EU countries," International Journal of Health Economics and Management, Springer, vol. 20(1), pages 79-98, March.
    3. Sheelah Connolly & Anne Nolan & Brendan Walsh & Maev-Ann Wren, 2018. "Universal GP Care in Ireland: Potential Cost Implications," The Economic and Social Review, Economic and Social Studies, vol. 49(1), pages 93-109.
    4. Hyeran Park & Jeongok Park, 2021. "Prevalence of Unmet Healthcare Needs in Adolescents and Associated Factors: Data from the Seventh Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2016–2018)," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(23), pages 1-11, December.
    5. McDonnell, Thérèse & Nicholson, Emma & Barrett, Michael & Bury, Gerard & Collins, Claire & Cummins, Fergal & Deasy, Conor & Denny, Kevin & De Brún, Aoife & Hensey, Conor & McAuliffe, Eilish, 2021. "Policy of free GP care for children under 6 years: The impact on emergency department attendance," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 279(C).
    6. Carlota Quintal & Luis Moura Ramos & Micaela Antunes & Óscar Lourenço, 2023. "Unmet healthcare needs among the population aged 50+ and their association with health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 20(1), pages 1-14, December.
    7. Palm, Willy & Webb, Erin & Hernández-Quevedo, Cristina & Scarpetti, Giada & Lessof, Suszy & Siciliani, Luigi & van Ginneken, Ewout, 2021. "Gaps in coverage and access in the European Union," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 125(3), pages 341-350.
    8. Ann, Kirby & Murphy, Aileen, 2022. "Would universal general practitioner care impact Irish adolescents’ utilisation?," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 126(7), pages 652-660.
    9. Veronika Kočiš Krůtilová & Lewe Bahnsen, 2021. "Cost-Induced Unmet Need for Health Care among Europe's Older Adults - The Role of Specific Diseases," European Journal of Business Science and Technology, Mendel University in Brno, Faculty of Business and Economics, vol. 7(2), pages 210-222.
    10. Roddy, Áine & O’Neill, Ciaran, 2020. "Predictors of unmet needs and family debt among children and adolescents with an autism spectrum disorder: Evidence from Ireland," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 124(3), pages 317-325.
    11. Pengfei Sheng & Tingting Yang & Tengfei Zhang, 2021. "The Unmet Medical Demand among China’s Urban Residents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-13, November.
    12. Md. Mizanur Rahman & Megumi Rosenberg & Gabriela Flores & Nadia Parsell & Shamima Akter & Md Ashraful Alam & Md. Mahfuzur Rahman & Tessa Edejer, 2022. "A systematic review and meta-analysis of unmet needs for healthcare and long-term care among older people," Health Economics Review, Springer, vol. 12(1), pages 1-10, December.
    13. Başar, Dilek & Dikmen, Fatih Hakan & Öztürk, Selcen, 2021. "The prevalence and determinants of unmet health care needs in Turkey," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 125(6), pages 786-792.
    14. Connolly, Sheelah & Wren, Maev-Ann, 2023. "Towards universal healthcare in Ireland – what can we learn from the literature?," Research Series, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), number SUSTAT121, June.
    15. Ramos, Luís Moura & Quintal, Carlota & Lourenço, Óscar & Antunes, Micaela, 2019. "Unmet needs across Europe: Disclosing knowledge beyond the ordinary measure," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 123(12), pages 1155-1162.
    16. McDonnell, Thérèse & Nicholson, Emma & Bury, Gerard & Collins, Claire & Conlon, Ciara & Denny, Kevin & O'Callaghan, Michael & McAuliffe, Eilish, 2022. "Policy of free GP care for children under 6 years: The impact on daytime and out-of-hours general practice," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 296(C).
    17. Cécile Vuillermoz & Stéphanie Vandentorren & Ruben Brondeel & Pierre Chauvin, 2017. "Unmet healthcare needs in homeless women with children in the Greater Paris area in France," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(9), pages 1-15, September.

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