Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42846616›Full record

ArticleIndian journal of community medicine : official publication of Indian Association of Preventive & Social Medicine

Financial Burden of Out-of-pocket Health Expenditure among Older Adults in Rural Kerala: A Mixed Methods Study.

Sruthy Kalathil Babu, Subhadra Kudukkasseri Thrivikraman, V Raman Kutty, K S Shaji

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Indian journal of community medicine : official publication of Indian Association of Preventive & Social Medicine. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Sruthy Kalathil BabuResearch Fellow, CGS, Kerala University of Health Sciences, Thrissur, Kerala, India.
Subhadra Kudukkasseri ThrivikramanDr Padiar Memorial Homeopathic Medical College, Chottanikkara, Kerala, India.
V Raman KuttyResearch Director, Amala Institute of Medical Sciences, Ernakulam, Kerala, India.
K S ShajiDean Research, Kerala University of Health Sciences, Ernakulam, Kerala, India.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: The rising number of older adults in India has led to increased healthcare needs and financial challenges secondary to high out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE). Understanding the extent and impact of OOPE among community-resident older adults is crucial for developing equitable health policies. Methods: A mixed methods study was conducted among 364 older adults in Arimbur Gramapanchayath, Kerala. Quantitative data on healthcare expenses were collected using a pretested proforma, and qualitative interviews were conducted with participants reporting higher OOPE. Descriptive and thematic analyses were performed. Results: The mean monthly OOPE for outpatient care was INR 1,379, while the average annual OOPE for hospitalization was INR 26,094. Many participants (59.4%) lacked health insurance, and 76.8% of them preferred private healthcare. Qualitative findings indicated the presence of issues related to accessibility and availability of specialist care when needed. Financial insecurity adversely impacted the healthcare of older adults and at times led to the neglect of healthcare. Conclusion: Older adults experience substantial financial strain due to healthcare costs, with inadequate insurance and reliance on private services. Strengthening of public healthcare services and efforts to reduce OOPE will help in scaling up senior care.

Indexed as

Financial burdenhealthcare utilizationKeralamixed methods studyolder adultsout-of-pocket expenditure

Identifiers

PMID42846616
PMCPMC13645109

What OpenQuestion holds

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.