Does more health care improve health among older adults? A longitudinal analysis.
OBJECTIVE
This research assesses the association of health services use with subsequent physical health among older Americans, adjusting for the confounding between health care use and prior health.


METHODS
Longitudinal data are from the Survey on Assets and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old (AHEAD). Linear and logistic regressions are used to model the linkages between medical care use and health outcomes, including self-rated health, functional limitations, and mortality.


RESULTS
There is limited evidence that increased health care use is correlated with improved subsequent health. Increased use of medical care is largely associated with poorer health outcomes. Moreover, there are no significant interaction effects of health care use and baseline health on Activities of Daily Living and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living, despite the existence of a significant but very small interaction effect on self-rated health.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings have implications for the quality of care delivered by the American health care system.
Golberstein
Ezra
E
University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, USA.
Liang
Jersey
J
Quiñones
Ana
A
Wolinsky
Fredric D
FD
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D014481:United States