Acute healthcare resource utilization by age: A cohort study

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Gerontology
• Public Health

Background:

• Limited granular data exists on age-specific utilization of acute and critical care services over time.
• Understanding these trends is crucial for healthcare resource allocation and planning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze age-specific trends in the utilization of emergency department (ED) visits, hospitalizations, intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, and mechanical ventilation.
• To identify changes in acute and critical care access across different age groups over a 25-year period.

Main Methods:

• Utilized population-based administrative data from Ontario, Canada, spanning 1995-2019.
• Identified residents by age (20-100 years) and assessed rates of ED visits, hospitalizations, ICU admissions, and mechanical ventilation from 2003-2019.

Main Results:

• Emergency department visits increased overall (164.3/1,000 to 199.1/1,000), with rising rates in younger populations.
• Hospitalizations decreased across all age groups (66.8/1,000 to 51.5/1,000).
• Intensive care unit admissions and mechanical ventilation rates increased, notably among individuals under 50.

Conclusions:

• Healthcare utilization patterns are shifting, with declining hospitalizations but increasing demand for emergency and critical care services.
• Younger adults are driving the rise in ED visits, ICU admissions, and mechanical ventilation, indicating a growing need for healthcare resources in this demographic.
• These trends necessitate a re-evaluation of healthcare delivery models to address the evolving needs of different age groups.