Re-thinking unmet need for health care: introducing a dynamic perspective

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Health Policy Analysis
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Growing interest in assessing unmet healthcare needs, particularly in Europe.
• Limited analysis of unmet healthcare needs in international settings.
• Challenges in defining, identifying, and quantifying unmet healthcare needs for policymakers.

Purpose of the Study:

• Propose a novel conceptual framework for understanding unmet healthcare need.
• Guide the analysis of unmet healthcare needs using diverse data sources and methods.
• Introduce a dynamic perspective to the study of unmet healthcare needs over time.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual analysis of unmet healthcare need.
• Introduction of a dynamic perspective to healthcare need trajectories.
• Outline of three alternative trajectories: non-use, delayed use, and sub-optimal use.

Main Results:

• Unmet healthcare need is a complex, multi-faceted concept.
• A single indicator cannot capture the entirety of unmet need.
• Three dynamic trajectories (non-use, delayed use, sub-optimal use) offer a new lens for analysis.

Conclusions:

• A dynamic perspective is crucial for advancing research on unmet healthcare needs.
• The proposed trajectories enhance the focus and policy relevance of empirical research.
• This framework aids policymakers in addressing various dimensions of unmet healthcare needs.