Is there equity in long-term healthcare utilization after traumatic brain injury?
OBJECTIVE: To quantify the long-term use of various types of healthcare services in patients with traumatic brain injury and to estimate the relative contribution of predisposing characteristics, enabling factors and health-related needs to determine whether there is equity in healthcare utilization. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. PATIENTS: Seventy-nine non-institutionalized moderate to severe patients with traumatic brain injury (age range 16-67 years). METHODS: Healthcare use was measured at 3-5 years post-injury. The relative contribution of predisposing characteristics, enabling factors, and health-related needs to the utilization of various types of care was analysed using logistic regression to determine whether there was equity in healthcare utilization. RESULTS: At least one healthcare service was used by 68% of the patients. Health-related needs explained most of the utilization. However, predisposing characteristics were also related to the use of other medical care and suppo
