高齡化與健康識能之政策分析

根據WHO(2013) 全球健康觀察資料庫統計發現，全球男女預期壽命持續延長，因此老年人口逐年增加。而老年人口是慢性病的主要族群，慢性病帶來龐大的經濟負擔，因此罹患慢性病後必須有良好的健康識能，有良好的健康識能才可以降低慢性病合併症的產生進而降低疾病負擔，低健康識能也使得老人醫療使用率增加。目前我國對於健康識能仍處於較陌生之領域，對於老年人健康識能的相關政策發展也尚無專業領域引導發展，然而在老人的照護過程中必須考量老人本身的健康識能因素，因此藉由分析我國與國際目前老人健康相關政策，建議應提升老人健康識能能力，加強對於慢性病的認知。在政策方面應該強化整體政府與社會的角度處理健康識能議題、倡議淺顯的用語及醫療專業人員對於健康識能的認知，以提供未來制定老年人慢性病相關政策擬定之建議。

關鍵字

健康識能；高齡化；政策分析

並列摘要

According to the 2013 Global Health Observatory data published by the World Health Organization, the global life expectancy of men and women has continued to increase, so the number of the population of the elder is increasing. The elderly population is the main group facing chronic diseases, which are associated with enormous financial burdens. Therefore, it is crucial that older adults become health literate after being diagnosed with a chronic disease. Excellent health literacy can reduce the incidence of chronic disease complications and thereby reduce the burden of disease, whereas low health literacy leads to increased health care utilization among older adults. However, health literacy is still an unfamiliar discipline in Taiwan at present, where professional consultations for the development of policies that address older adults' health literacy remains lacking. Critically, older adults' health literacy must be accounted for during their nursing process. This study therefore analyzed the health care policies for older adults in Taiwan and foreign countries; it suggested that the older adults' health literacy should be enhanced, especially for the part of the recognition of chronic diseases. In the view of the policy, the paths how the government and people in the society deal with the issues of health literacy, advocated but simple terms, and health providers recognition of health literacy should be improved. The results may serve as a reference for future policymaking regarding chronic disease among older adults.

並列關鍵字

health literacy ； aging ； policy analysis

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