Access to healthcare during COVID-19 among ageing population in Latvia

Medical staff has worked tirelessly throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to test and treat coronavirus patients. However, the focus on the virus has
caused huge disruption to healthcare services, resulting in delayed treatment
for patients with other serious conditions. Additionally, the reasons for forgoing or abstaining healthcare could also relate to individual decisions. We used
data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE),
where the respondents aged 50 and older of the Wave 8, version 0, were asked
to answer, among other, questions on delayed, postponed or denied healthcare
services during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic in Latvia. For comparative reasons also Estonian and Lithuanian data were included in the study with
2 473 627 valid weighted cases in total. Due to the large sample size, in order
to evaluate statistically significant result for Pearson’s chi-square test, strength
of association (f) was provided. The results show that 12.7% of the respondents
forwent and 14% postponed medical treatment in Latvia. Appointment was denied to 5.5% of the respondents. Generally, older people in Latvia had better
access to health care services compared to the average in the Baltic countries.
We found significant age and gender differences, but they varied depending on
the type of treatment and reason for not receiving it. However, further studies
are necessary to analyse how limited access to the healthcare for other reasons
has affected health of the ageing population. Also, more knowledge is needed
about how to maintain public health and wellbeing for the growing part of the
ageing society.