Is China facing the social risks associated with reliance on hospitalization for the care of the elderly with chronic diseases?

Abstract

This study aims to investigate if China is facing the social risks associated with reliance on hospitalization for the care of the elderly with chronic diseases. Textual studies and big data analysis indicate the following outcomes: (1) The elderly population suffering from chronic diseases is expanding rapidly, while the prevalence rate also shows a growing trend; (2) the reliance on hospitalization for the care of the elderly patients exists and has caused three new social risks; and (3) these social risks are wasted health resources, poverty between individuals and families, and relative increase in the disability rate of the elderly after hospital admission. We conclude that effectively defusing the risks entails strengthening the management of chronic diseases related to communal public health, initiating the concept of "continuity of care" to pursue an active combination of medical and health care, hastening the implementation of long-term care insurance (LTCI) and other policy measures.