Analysis of Unmet Healthcare Needs in Ireland: A Data Mining Approach

Abstract

This study explores data form the Survey of Income and Living Condition (SILC), related to factors contributing to unmet healthcare needs in Ireland. We analysed predisposing, enabling and needs factors by building predictive models and measured the predictor importance by sensitivity analysis. Results show that critical factors for meeting the healthcare needs include financial status, degree of urbanization, indicatorsof social exclusion and deprivations, and self-perceived general health condition. Identifying and quantifying those factors form raw data may facilitate decision making in the domain.