Yuan-Yuan Ma,1,2,* Ting-Ting Wu,3,* Li Wang,2 Yu-Fei Qian,2 Jing Wu,4 Gui-Ling Geng1 

1Nursing and Rehabilitation College, Nantong University, Nantong, 226019, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Emergency, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University (Nantong First People’s Hospital), Nantong, 226006, People’s Republic of China; 3Affiliated Maternal & Child Care Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, 226018, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Nursing, The Eighth People’s Hospital of Tongzhou District, Nantong, 226001, People’s Republic of China

*These authors contributed equally to this work

Correspondence: Gui-Ling Geng, Nursing and Rehabilitation College, Nantong University, No. 9 Siyuan Road, Chongchuan District, Nantong, 226019, People’s Republic of China, Tel +8615152889466, Email guilinggengggl@126.com

Objective: This study aims to assess the current utilization status of transitional care service among older adults with chronic diseases and identify factors influencing their use.
Methods: Utilizing Andersen’s Behavioral Model, a cross-sectional survey was conducted in a specific region from October 2023 to December 2023 using convenience sampling. The survey aimed to analyze the impact of predisposing factors, enabling factors, and need factors on the utilization of transitional care services by older adults with chronic diseases.
Results: Disease guidance had the highest utilization rate at 61.92% among various types of professional guidance on transitional care, while other professional guidance and services had utilization rates below 50%. Regarding predisposing factors, older adults with chronic diseases who were unmarried, employed part-time or full-time, or previously unemployed indicated lower utilization of transitional care services. In terms of enabling factors, those with a primary caregiver, high monthly family income, and medical insurance were more likely to use transitional care. With respect to need factors, older adults with a higher number of chronic diseases and impaired activities of daily living were less likely to use transitional care services.
Conclusion: Older adults with chronic diseases tend to underutilize transitional care services. Based on Andersen’s Behavioral Model, factors influencing the utilization of these services include marital status, employment status, previous occupation, primary caregiver presence, monthly family income, method of medical expense payment, number of chronic diseases, and Activities of Daily Living score.

Keywords: Anderson’s Behavioral Model, chronic disease among older adults, professional guidance, transitional care, utilization