Delayed access to health care and mortality.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To measure the relationship between time spent waiting for health care services and patients' mortality.

Data source

Data on the number of days until the next available appointment at 89 Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers in 2001 were extracted from a VA administrative database. These facility-level data were merged with individual-level data for a sample of veterans who visited a VA geriatric outpatient clinic in 2001. The merged dataset includes facility-level data on waiting times and individual-level data on demographics, health status (e.g., diagnoses), and mortality.

Study design

This was a retrospective observational study using secondary data from administrative sources. The dependent variable was mortality within a 6-month follow-up period. The m

SUBMITTER: Prentice JC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1955366 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature