Abstract
Home healthcare services are an essential part of modern health systems, providing continuous support for older adults and individuals with chronic illnesses. This study examined demographic and service utilization patterns among patients receiving home healthcare in Amasya, Turkey, over a 5-year period and assessed temporal trends, including the potential effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. A retrospective analysis was conducted using records from 18,087 patients who received home healthcare services between 2020 and 2024. Because some patients received more than 1 of the 4 service categories (injection therapy, wound care, interventional procedures, and follow-up services), analyses were performed separately for each category rather than by total patient count. Data were analyzed by gender and year using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests, while interrupted time series (ITS) analysis evaluated changes in service utilization during lockdown and reopening periods. Women comprised 58.1% of all patients. Wound care was the most common service (71.2%), followed by interventional procedures (47.2%), follow-up visits (36.3%), and injection therapy (23.6%). The proportion of female patients was higher in all categories except interventional procedures. Male patients more frequently received intravenous injections and catheter management. Service utilization increased during 2021 to 2022, corresponding to pandemic restrictions, and gradually declined until 2024. ITS analysis showed no significant level change but indicated a positive post-intervention trend. This 5-year analysis revealed stable gender-based utilization patterns and a temporary pandemic-related surge in home healthcare use, highlighting system resilience and the need for gender-responsive planning and standardized monitoring.
Keywords
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.