Risk of Death Influences Regional Variation in Intensive Care Unit Admission Rates among the Elderly in the United States.

ABSTRACT:

Rationale

The extent to which geographic variability in ICU admission across the United States is driven by patients with lower risk of death is unknown.

Objectives

To determine whether patients at low to moderate risk of death contribute to geographic variation in ICU admission.

Methods

Retrospective cohort of hospitalizations among Medicare beneficiaries (age > 64 years) admitted for ten common medical and surgical diagnoses (2004 to 2009). We examined population-adjusted rates of ICU admission per 100 hospitalizations in 304 health referral regions (HRR), and estimated the relative risk of ICU admission across strata of regional ICU and risk of death, adjusted for patient and regional characteristics.

Measurement and main results

ICU admission rates varied n

SUBMITTER: Cooke CR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5127515 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature