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Disparities in Regular Health Care Utilisation in Europe

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The Individual and the Welfare State

Abstract

A standard doctor visit or routine check-up can be essential for maintaining good health. People who have regular checkups may identify health issues well before any symptoms show up and receive the treatment for reducing onset and complications. Many of the costly and disabling conditions can be prevented through early detection. Therefore, improving access to routine checkups is considered as an objective for the health care systems (WHO 2002). For instance, women are advised to have regular gynaecological visits from an early age and mammography from 50 onwards. Major guidelines recommend periodic comprehensive evaluation of blood values and regular follow-up of blood pressure after a certain age (Mandel et al. 2000). Persons who have regular eye examinations may experience slower decline in vision and functional status (Gohdes et al. 2005).

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Correspondence to Nicolas Sirven .

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© 2011 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Sirven, N., Or, Z. (2011). Disparities in Regular Health Care Utilisation in Europe. In: Börsch-Supan, A., Brandt, M., Hank, K., Schröder, M. (eds) The Individual and the Welfare State. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-17472-8_22

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