A 3-year study of high-cost users of health care.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Characterizing high-cost users of health care resources is essential for the development of appropriate interventions to improve the management of these patients. We sought to determine the concentration of health care spending, characterize demographic characteristics and clinical diagnoses of high-cost users and examine the consistency of their health care consumption over time.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective analysis of all residents of Ontario, Canada, who were eligible for publicly funded health care between 2009 and 2011. We estimated the total attributable government health care spending for every individual in all health care sectors.

Results

More than $30 billion in annual health expenditures, representing 75% of total government health care

SUBMITTER: Wodchis WP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4754179 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature