Medical Care and Compliance among the Elderly after Hospitalization

Abstract

One hundred and fourteen chronically-ill patients six months after discharge from a general hospital revealed a high readmission rate (34.2%), a high utilization of hospital services, out-patient clinics, and family practitioners reflecting the problem of chronically-ill old people. The study of compliance with physician's recommendations showed that 42.1% of all patients interviewed did not comply with one or more recommendations. The reasons for not complying with the orders were related to the deficiencies of community health and social agencies, the patient's attitude or understanding of the instructions, the cost of drugs, and other factors. The lack of compliance was associated with marital status, education, income, and severity of disease.