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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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| Patterns of use of common major procedures in medical care of older adults | | Author(s) | Norman G Levinsky, Arlene S Ash, Wei Yu |
| Journal title | Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, vol 47, no 5, May 1999 |
| Pages | pp 553-558 |
| Keywords | Medical care ; Admission [hospitals] ; Surgery ; Costs [care] ; Death ; United States of America. |
| Annotation | The authors used 1992 Medicare data to classify the most frequent diagnosis related groups (DRGs), representing one-half of all admissions, as procedural or general medical. They studied the frequency of hospitalisations for the the most common procedures (bowel surgery, cardiovascular procedures, hip and femur surgery) and for general medical care in the entire US Medicare population, in those aged 65-74, 75-84, 85 or older, in those who died, and in the 5% of those whose Medicare costs were highest. In the entire population, common procedures accounted for 21% of the most frequent DRGs. Among those who died, the procedures were performed in only 8% of admissions. In the 5% of those with highest costs, 28% of admissions involved procedures. Admissions for cardiovascular procedures and for cancer chemotherapy decreased with age and were infrequent in those aged 85+. Hip and femur procedures increased with age and accounted for 70% of the common procedures in those aged 85+. Most hospitalisations are for general medical care. Major procedures appear to be used with restraint in the very old and in those in their last year of life. (RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-990825304 A |
| Classmark | LK: LD:QKH: LKA: QDC: CW: 7T |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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