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This paper aims to investigate the potential relationship between depression, diabetes knowledge and self-care management with quality of life in diabetic patients.

This analytical cross-sectional study was conducted on 309 diabetic patients in Tabriz, Iran in 2015-2017. Quality of life was assessed by a validated questionnaire. The Persian version of the Beck Aeron questionnaire was used to assess the depression status. Knowledge and self-care management was evaluated by the health belief model questionnaire. Simple and multiple regression models were used to determine the relationship between the mentioned factors and the quality of life in diabetic patients.

Thirty-six per cent of the patients suffered from depression. The mean score of the total quality of life was 33.75 ± 8.72. The scores of the three domains of the quality of life were less than the normal range (“complication of diabetes” domain: 9.93 ± 3.16, “diagnosis, therapy and follow-up” domain: 10.91 ± 3.31, “psycho-social effect of diabetes” domain: 12.93 ± 4.41). The score of “complication of diabetes” score in males was significantly higher than females (p = 0.001). There was a significant relationship between depression (p < 0.001), self-care management (p = 0.019) and two parameters of knowledge (diet: p = 0.006 and diabetes: p = 0.004) with quality of life of diabetic patients.

The obtained results presented an unfavorable status of knowledge, physical and mental health in diabetic patients and a strong relationship between health-related factors with quality of life. Therefore, it is suggested to hold community-based health-promoting programs to enhance the overall life satisfaction in people with diabetes.

The Chinese population is rapidly ageing before they are rich. The purpose of this paper is to describe healthcare seeking behaviour and the critical factors associated with healthcare seeking behaviour.

Using a purposive sampling method, the authors recruited 44 adults aged 60 years or older from three provinces, representing the developed (Shanghai), undeveloped (Ningxia) regions and the regions in between (Hubei). From July to September 2008, using a semi-structured guide, the authors interviewed participants in focus group discussions.

The healthcare needs for chronic and catastrophic diseases were high; however, the healthcare demands were low and healthcare utilizations were even lower owing to the limited accessibility to healthcare services, particularly, in underdeveloped rural areas. “Too expensive to see a doctor” was a prime complaint, explaining substantial discrepancies between healthcare needs, demands and use. Care seeking behaviour varied depending on insurance availability, perceived performance, particularly hospital services, and prescription medications. Participants consistently rated increasing healthcare accessibility as a high priority, including offering financial aid, and improving service convenience. Improving social security fairness was the first on the elderly’s wish list.

Healthcare demand and use were lower than needs, and were influenced by multiple factors, primarily, service affordability and efficiency, perceived performance and hospital service quality.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the main global transformations of the healthcare sector and their underlying causes and effects.

The study focuses on several important trends including the increasing life expectancy and aging, the rise of non-communicable diseases, the risks of pandemics, medication expenditure, the globalization of healthcare and technological innovations such as digitization, robotic and nanomedicine.

The analysis indicates that the world populations will be much older in the near future and the healthcare sector will witness significant growth opportunities. The aging populations will put more pressure on healthcare systems and increase the incidence of non-communicable diseases. In a globalized world, the risks of global pandemics are expected to increase. The surge in the medication expenditure will put much pressure on healthcare systems, insurers, patients, employers and providers. The healthcare sector is characterized by its above-average growth in the USA and much of the developed world. Therefore, the share of healthcare in gross domestic product will continue to rise. The digitization and globalization of healthcare may involve major disruptions in the location and the type of care. New materials particularly nanoparticles will be used to enhance the precision, quality and efficacy of diagnostics, medications and treatments.

The paper touches on several areas including demographic, clinical, financial, managerial and technological transformations and examines their implications for the healthcare sector.

Elderly patients suffering from non-communicable disease face a dilemma in the selection of healthcare providers. This study attempts to identify the key variables playing a crucial role and identify the appropriate healthcare destination with the help of a combination of Decision-making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) and analytic hierarchy process (AHP) techniques. The primary objective is to introduce the DEMATEL and AHP as efficient decision-making methods to choose the right healthcare provider for elderly patients suffering from non-communicable diseases.

An integrative approach utilizing DEMATEL and AHP is used to reach the ideal solution for healthcare provider selection decisions. The DEMATEL approach is used to segregate the cause and effect variables. Similarly, the AHP is used to identify the weights of the top five cause-inducing variables, and the paired comparison method is used to select the healthcare provider.

The variables such as dependency on family members, easily accessible services, and patient autonomy play a vital role in the selection decision of healthcare providers in elderly patients suffering from non-communicable diseases.

In terms of priority, home healthcare should be considered the preferred provider for elderly patients suffering from non-communicable diseases followed by neighbourhood registered medical practitioners and hospitals.

This is the first of its kind study which has attempted to solve the healthcare provider selection decision with the combined approach of DEMATEL and AHP.