Factors associated with the use of outpatient services among the elderly in Indonesia

Background: Elderly people tend to have greater healthcare utilization because of their health status. However, with the 4th largest population in the world, little is known concerning the use of services among the Indonesian elderly. Hence, this study aimed to identify factors related to the use of outpatient services among the Indonesian elderly. Methods: This is cross sectional study using data from the Indonesian Family Life Survey 5 (IFLS 5), conducted in 2014 and 2015. Only those who were 60 years or older were included in the analyses. We used a logistic regression analysis to determine factors associated with use of outpatient services. Results: Among 2912 participants, only 22.7% of respondents had visited health workers or doctors within the previous 4 weeks before the survey. After controlling for other variables, factors associated with the use of outpatient services were socioeconomic status, insurance status, regions of residence, self-rated health, and the number of chronic conditions. Conclusion: Inequality in outpatient services was observed among the elderly in Indonesia. More effort is need to expand insurance coverage for the elderly, particularly for those in the lower economic status, and to improve access to outpatient services in rural regions by allocating the needed resources.