Comparison of Healthcare Utilization Between Informal Caregivers and Non-Caregivers: An Analysis of the Health Information National Trends Survey

Overview

Journal J Aging Health

Publisher Sage Publications

Specialty Geriatrics

Date 2019 Feb 23

PMID 30793639

Citations 8

Authors

Kelly M Shaffer

Chandylen L Nightingale

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The demands of providing unpaid care for someone with a disabling health condition (i.e., informal caregiving) can limit attention to one's own health needs. Using a nationally representative survey, this study examines whether caregivers report different healthcare utilization relative to non-caregivers. Participants in the Health Information National Trends Survey 5, Cycle 1 reported whether they provided unpaid care and healthcare utilization outcomes. Logistic regressions and chi-square tests with jackknife variance estimation were used. Caregivers ( = 391) did not differ from non-caregivers ( = 2,894) in time since routine checkup or number of healthcare appointments in the past year ( values > .25). Among caregivers, number of healthcare appointments differed according to caregivers' relationship to the care recipient ( = .04). Findings suggest that informal caregivers access routine healthcare at a frequency similar to non-caregivers. Further research should determine whether this utilization is optimal, or whether increased utilization during caregiving might help attenuate caregivers' longer term morbidity.

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