Does socioeconomic status affect hospital utilization and health outcomes of chronic disease patients?
Eur J Health Econ
; 22(2): 329-339, 2021 Mar.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-33389255
ABSTRACT
This study quantifies the extent socioeconomic status (SES) affects hospital utilization and adverse hospital events of chronic disease patients. After identifying the initial first-year spell of the disease, we examine six outcomes that include measures of utilization and incidence of adverse in-hospital events. Three years of hospital administrative data from the state of Victoria, Australia, are used to extract a sample of 237,743 patients with chronic disease spells. SES is measured using the utilization records of specific health and human services. The study finds that, compared to patients with no disadvantage, SES disadvantaged patients tend to incur higher hospital costs and longer utilization by about 20% and greater incidence of in-hospital adverse outcomes by up to 80% than non-disadvantaged patients. Further analysis shows that hospital adverse outcomes indirectly contribute to about a quarter of the observed difference in hospital costs between SES disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged patients.
Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Social Class
/
Patient Acceptance of Health Care
/
Chronic Disease
/
Hospitals
Type of study:
Prognostic_studies
Aspects:
Determinantes_sociais_saude
Limits:
Humans
Country/Region as subject:
Oceania
Language:
En
Journal:
Eur J Health Econ
Journal subject:
SAUDE PUBLICA
/
SERVICOS DE SAUDE
Year:
2021
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Australia