Assessment of Barriers to Integrated Care Service Utilization Among Older Adults in Comprehensive Health Centers of Zanjan City: A Cross-Sectional Study
نویسندگان
1 General practitioner, director of family, population, and school health, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
2 BSc in Midwifery, Geriatric Health Expert, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
3 Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Health and Metabolic Diseases Research Institute, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
4 Specialist Physician, Valiasr Educational and Therapeutic Hospital, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
doi
10.22038/ebcj.2025.88707.3149چکیده
Background: Although integrated care improves service delivery, older adults still face significant barriers to access health services, underscoring the need to address these challenges.Aim: This study was conducted with aims to assess the barriers to integrated care service utilization among older adults in comprehensive health centers.Method: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in 2023 among 353 older adults in Zanjan City using simple random sampling. Data were collected through a questionnaire covering five domains: informing older adults, access to facilities or information, family/personal reasons, service quality, and preference for private sector services, and analyzed using t-tests, ANOVA, and linear regression at a 95% confidence level.Results: Several primary reasons were identified for not utilizing older adults' services, such as lack of awareness about available service types, seeking health information from other sources, personal and family-related factors, concerns about healthcare quality, and a preference for private sector services. Additionally, significant predictors of non-use of older adults' services included education, economic status, marital status, occupation, and health status.Implications for Practice: The findings of this study underscore the complexity of factors influencing older adults' access to health services, extending beyond individual characteristics to include systemic and structural barriers. Addressing barriers to integrated care service utilization demands a multi-level strategy that combines public awareness initiatives, quality enhancement of care delivery, and targeted actions to reduce socioeconomic inequities. Such an approach is critical for achieving equitable healthcare access among older adults.
