Social Isolation Associated with Future Health Care Utilization

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Health Services Research
• Public Health

Background:

• Social isolation and loneliness are prevalent among older adults (65+).
• Existing research links social isolation to adverse health outcomes.
• Healthcare utilization patterns of socially isolated older adults remain under-explored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the association between self-reported social isolation and subsequent hospital and emergency department (ED) utilization.
• To analyze healthcare utilization among Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 and older experiencing varying levels of social isolation.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective, observational study of 18,557 Medicare members (65+).
• Compared hospitalization and ED visit rates in the 12 months post-survey.
• Controlled for demographic, health variables, and prior healthcare utilization.

Main Results:

• Social isolation (sometimes) increased likelihood of hospital admission (OR: 1.17).
• Social isolation (sometimes or often/always) increased likelihood of ED visits (ORs: 1.28, 1.51).
• Findings indicate self-reported social isolation predicts future hospital and ED use.

Conclusions:

• Self-reported social isolation is a potential predictor of increased hospital admissions and ED utilization in older adults.
• Further research is warranted to explore interventions addressing social isolation within healthcare systems.
• Integrating social isolation assessments may optimize healthcare resource allocation and improve patient outcomes.