Changes in health-related quality of life among impoverished persons in the Free/Low-Cost Medical Care Program in Japan: Evidence from a prospective cohort study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The Free/Low-Cost Medical Care Program (FLCMC) can subsidize the payment (exempt/lower) in designated institutions in Japan. Given that poverty is a multidimensional concept including social isolation, the FLCMC applicants may need social support over and above financial aid to improve their quality of life. However, there was no data to discuss what services should be provided and to whom. Hence, we aimed to describe the changes in health-related quality of life scores among users of the FLCMC, with respect to their socioeconomic backgrounds.

Methods

This cohort study included patients who newly used FLCMC from July 2018 to April 2019. We used patients' social work records, obtained at baseline, and self-report questionnaires on the Medical Outcomes Study 8 Items

SUBMITTER: Nishioka D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9551295 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature