COVID-19: Healthcare Utilization Changes and Social Factors : A study on individuals aged over 50 in Europe

Abstract: The thesis studies a sample of individuals over the age of 50 in Europe with the purpose of identifying any differences in healthcare utilization due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The main focus of the study is the impact that social factors have had on one’s behaviour and risk preferences, even if they themselves did not fall ill. The data used is from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (easySHARE), a questionnaire-based database made up of different waves. The waves used for comparison reasons in the study are Waves 7 and 8 from 2017 and 2020, respectively, as well as any additional COVID-19 based surveys conducted by easySHARE. Healthcare utilization is measured by annual doctor visits. The data is analyzed via a country-specific effects model and a Poisson model, with utilization as the dependent variable and controlling for socioeconomic and social factors. In addition, the models use dummy variables to indicate the diagnosis of a chronic disease and the impact that COVID-19 pandemic had on utilization in general. The largest predictors of healthcare utilization was self-reported health and the diagnosis of at least one chronic disease. Social factors had negligible to no impact, while higher education levels and belonging to lower income brackets were connected to increased utilization. Overall, utilization increased due to the pandemic, hinting to a shift towards more risk-averse behaviour in the sample.