Department of Planning, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
Department of Geography and Rural Development, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
Int J Equity Health. 2019 Mar 20;18(1):47. doi: 10.1186/s12939-019-0927-0.
Older people utilise more healthcare services and are likely to incur higher healthcare expenditure, however, data on their healthcare financing mechanisms are scarce in low-and middle- income countries including Ghana. In this study, we aimed at exploring how poor older people finance their healthcare in rural Ghana.
We conducted in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with 60 study participants comprising 30 poor older people, 15 healthcare providers and 15 caregivers in Atwima Nwabiagya District of Ghana. Data were analysed using thematic analytical framework and presented based on an a posteriori inductive reduction approach.
The study revealed that poor older people finance their healthcare through personal income, family support, Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty grants and National Health Insurance Scheme subscription. It was also found that poor older people spent between GH¢ 20 and 250 on drugs, laboratory test and hospitalisation anytime they access a healthcare facility.
The findings contribute to our understanding of how poor older people finance their healthcare in rural Ghana. We argue that health stakeholders should strengthen healthcare financing mechanisms for poor older people for optimal healthcare use.
老年人使用更多的医疗保健服务，并且可能产生更高的医疗保健支出，然而，包括加纳在内的低收入和中等收入国家的数据稀缺，缺乏关于他们医疗保健融资机制的信息。在这项研究中，我们旨在探讨加纳农村地区贫困老年人如何为其医疗保健提供资金。
我们对加纳阿特瓦马·恩瓦比阿亚地区的 60 名研究参与者（包括 30 名贫困老年人、15 名医疗保健提供者和 15 名护理人员）进行了深入访谈和焦点小组讨论。数据使用主题分析框架进行分析，并根据后天归纳还原方法呈现。
研究表明，贫困老年人通过个人收入、家庭支持、赋权脱贫生计赠款和国家健康保险计划来为其医疗保健提供资金。还发现，贫困老年人每次到医疗机构就诊时，在药品、实验室检查和住院方面的花费在 20 至 250 加纳塞地之间。
这些发现有助于我们了解加纳农村地区贫困老年人如何为其医疗保健提供资金。我们认为，卫生利益攸关方应加强贫困老年人的医疗保健融资机制，以实现最佳的医疗保健利用。
