Laboratory Features of Home Health Care Patients

OpenAlex İngilizce

Objective: The increasing need for home health care services is essential for the elderly population and also for people with disabilities, chronic illness, or terminal-phase disease in Turkey and around the world. The aim of this study was to statistically analyze the laboratory data of patients who were followed up by the Home Health Care Units of Haseki Training and Research Hospital. Materials and Methods: The study population included 575 patients who registered for home health care services at Istanbul Haseki Training and Research Hospital between 2011 and 2013. The patients’ database records were analyzed according to sex, age group, types of disease, and laboratory findings. Results: Our results are consistent with the literature in that the patients aged 65 years or over and being followed up by a home care unit had high C-reactive protein but low albumin levels, and the prevalence of anemia was common among these patients (p<0.05). Conclusion: The results of the study can be used to support the introduction by health policy makers and health professionals of home care as an alternative delivery system in the Turkish health sector.