This study aims to describe health services underutilization for people diagnosed with chronic diseases in impoverished regions and to identify its associated factors, which is expected to have practical implications for the implementations of interventions tailored to the specific needs of disadvantaged residents in rural China to achieve effective utilization of health services in a timely manner. Our results suggest that the implementation of a series of comprehensive strategies should be addressed throughout the policy-making process to improve the provision of regular source of care as a significant determinant for reducing health services underutilization, thus ultimately achieving equal utilization of health services in impoverished regions, especially among chronic disease patients.
Hu, Haiyan, Weiyan Jian, Hongqiao Fu, Hao Zhang, Jay Pan, and Winnie Yip. 2021. “Health service underutilization and its associated factors for chronic diseases patients in poverty-stricken areas in China: a multilevel analysis.” BMC Health Services. doi: 10.1186/s12913-021-06725-5.