The ecological fallacy of the role of age in chronic disease and hospital demand.
Med Care
; 52(10): 891-900, 2014 Oct.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-25122531
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:
To examine the relationship between age and all-cause hospital utilization in the years preceding and following a diagnosis in hospital of heart failure, type 2 diabetes, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). RESEARCHDESIGN:
A cohort study of all patients in Western Australia who have had a principal diagnosis of heart failure, type 2 diabetes, or COPD, upon admission to hospital. All-cause hospital utilization 6 years preceding and 4 years following cardinal events, that is, a disease-specific diagnosis upon hospital admission, where such an event has not occurred in the previous 2 years, are examined in specific age groups.RESULTS:
Six years preceding a cardinal event, all-cause emergency department (ED) presentations are similar in all age groups, from under 55 to over 85 years of age, except in COPD where ED presentation rates are higher in younger groups. All-cause hospital inpatient days are transiently higher in the years preceding and following a cardinal event in older age groups, yet return to similar levels across all age cohorts after 4 years. ED presentations are significantly higher in the 4 years following cardinal events in younger compared with older groups.CONCLUSIONS:
Longitudinal analysis of utilization around cardinal events overcomes the confounding effect of differences in chronic disease rates between age groups, avoiding a source of ecologic bias that erroneously attributes increasing utilization in individuals with chronic disease to age. Programs designed to reduce hospital demand in patients with chronic disease should possibly focus on younger, rather than older, individuals.
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Banco de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Enfermedad Pulmonar Obstructiva Crónica
/
Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 2
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Servicios Médicos de Urgencia
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Necesidades y Demandas de Servicios de Salud
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Insuficiencia Cardíaca
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Hospitales
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Tiempo de Internación
Tipo de estudio:
Etiology_studies
/
Incidence_studies
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Observational_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Límite:
Aged
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Aged80
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Female
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Humans
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Male
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Middle aged
País/Región como asunto:
Oceania
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Med Care
Año:
2014
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Australia