Changes in private health service utilisation and access to the Italian National Health Service between 2006 and 2019: a cross-sectional comparative study.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Previous research highlighted that in the early 2000s a significant share of the Italian population used and paid out of pocket for private healthcare services even when they could potentially have received the same treatments from the National Health Service (NHS). The decrease in public investments in healthcare and the increase in health needs due to the population ageing may have modified the use of private health services and equity of access to the Italian NHS. This study aims to investigate the change in the prevalence of individuals who have fully paid out of pocket for accessing healthcare services in Italy between 2006 and 2019 and the main reasons behind this choice.

Design

Cross-sectional comparative study.

Participants and comparison

Two repres

SUBMITTER: Maietti E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10230335 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature