Introduction:Addressing the healthcare needs of the growing number of patients with herpes zoster(HZ)presents considerable challenges.This study examined the unmet healthcare needs and associated factors among people ...Introduction:Addressing the healthcare needs of the growing number of patients with herpes zoster(HZ)presents considerable challenges.This study examined the unmet healthcare needs and associated factors among people with HZ across 25 provincial-level administrative divisions(PLADs)and cities in China from 2019–2024.Methods:The study conducted a nationwide population-based survey using probabilityproportional-to-size sampling.The structured questionnaire incorporated validated diagnostic criteria for HZ,HZ health service utilization-related questions,and sociodemographic information.Unmet healthcare needs were categorized as unmet outpatient and hospitalization care needs.Odds ratio(OR)was estimated from multivariable logistic regression modeling to assess the associations between HZ unmet healthcare needs and sociodemographic characteristics of individuals.This study ultimately completed 21,750 adult surveys(≥16 years old)in 25 PLADs across the country.Among them,a healthcare utilization survey was conducted for patients who had developed HZ in the past five years of the survey period,totaling 813 individuals.Results:Among 813 participants with HZ,28.78%had unmet outpatient care needs,and 36.36%of those who met the hospitalization criteria had unmet inpatient needs.Older adults had significantly lower odds of unmet outpatient needs,with an OR of 0.57[95%confidence interval(CI):0.40,0.81],compared with younger adults.In addition,urban residents had higher odds of unmet inpatient needs,with an OR of 2.18(95%CI:1.00–4.75).Conclusions:The findings indicate substantial unmet healthcare needs among patients with HZ,with significant variations observed across different age groups and residential regions.This study highlights the necessity of enhancing health literacy,with particular emphasis on improving the standardized diagnosis of HZ in rural areas and the standardized treatment among working-age residents with HZ.展开更多
文摘Introduction:Addressing the healthcare needs of the growing number of patients with herpes zoster(HZ)presents considerable challenges.This study examined the unmet healthcare needs and associated factors among people with HZ across 25 provincial-level administrative divisions(PLADs)and cities in China from 2019–2024.Methods:The study conducted a nationwide population-based survey using probabilityproportional-to-size sampling.The structured questionnaire incorporated validated diagnostic criteria for HZ,HZ health service utilization-related questions,and sociodemographic information.Unmet healthcare needs were categorized as unmet outpatient and hospitalization care needs.Odds ratio(OR)was estimated from multivariable logistic regression modeling to assess the associations between HZ unmet healthcare needs and sociodemographic characteristics of individuals.This study ultimately completed 21,750 adult surveys(≥16 years old)in 25 PLADs across the country.Among them,a healthcare utilization survey was conducted for patients who had developed HZ in the past five years of the survey period,totaling 813 individuals.Results:Among 813 participants with HZ,28.78%had unmet outpatient care needs,and 36.36%of those who met the hospitalization criteria had unmet inpatient needs.Older adults had significantly lower odds of unmet outpatient needs,with an OR of 0.57[95%confidence interval(CI):0.40,0.81],compared with younger adults.In addition,urban residents had higher odds of unmet inpatient needs,with an OR of 2.18(95%CI:1.00–4.75).Conclusions:The findings indicate substantial unmet healthcare needs among patients with HZ,with significant variations observed across different age groups and residential regions.This study highlights the necessity of enhancing health literacy,with particular emphasis on improving the standardized diagnosis of HZ in rural areas and the standardized treatment among working-age residents with HZ.
