High-cost users of hospital beds in Western Australia: a population-based record linkage study

To describe how high-cost users of inpatient care in Western Australia differ from other users in age, health problems and resource use.

Secondary analysis of hospital data and linked mortality data from the WA Data Linkage System for 2002, with cost data from the National Hospital Cost Data Collection (2001-02 financial year).

Comparison of high-cost users and other users of inpatient care in terms of age, health profile (major diagnostic category) and resource use (annualised costs, separations and bed days).

Older high-cost users (> or = 65 years) were not more expensive to treat than younger high-cost users (at the patient level), but were costlier as a group overall because of their disproportionate representation (n = 8466; 55.9%). Chronic stable and unstable conditions were a key feature of high-cost users, and included end stage renal disease, angina, depression and secondary malignant neoplasms. High-cost users accounted for 38% of both inpatient costs and inpatient days, and 26% of inpatient separations.

Ageing of the population is associated with an increase in the proportion of high-cost users of inpatient care. High costs appear to be needs-driven. Constraining high-cost inpatient use requires more focus on preventing the onset and progression of chronic disease, and reducing surgical complications and injuries in vulnerable groups.