Population ageing and national healthcare systems sustainability. A review of world practices

Abstract

By 2050, the proportion of people over 60 years of age worldwide is expected to be 22 %, and the number of people over 80 is expected to triple by that time, reaching 426 million. Population aging threatens the sustainable functioning of national health care systems, since the increase in the proportion of the elderly population is accompanied by increased costs for the health care system and a decrease in the availability of medical care for other age groups. Based on the analysis and synthesis of data from foreign publications on the impact of population aging on the sustainability of the functioning of national healthcare systems, proposed measures and models of medical care that take into account changes in the age structure of the population are systematized. Analysis of foreign publications made it possible to identify the following challenges for the healthcare system associated with the aging population: rising costs of providing medical care, the need to increase emphasis on preventive measures, increasing prevalence and severity of chronic non-communicable diseases and comorbidity, inequality in access to medical care, expressed in territorial (regional), age and gender aspects, as well as determined by the socio-economic status of a person. Experts suggest that the most obvious and realistic solution to the problem is active prevention of chronic diseases and more intensive monitoring of the health status of the population. Digital solutions that provide disease prevention and remote monitoring of the health status of the elderly population, based on the use of machine learning technologies, artificial intelligence and telemedicine technologies, are identified as promising areas for limiting healthcare costs.