Utilisation of health services over a one-year period by an adult population with Down syndrome.

The utilisation of health services over a one-year period by an adult population of 38 probands with Down Syndrome (DS) (23 males 60.5% and 15 females 39.5%) in the Danish County of Aarhus (CA) was surveyed. All patients were born between 1 January 1934 and 31 December 1943, mean age 45.7 years. Prevalence: 0.056% on day of census: 31 December 1984. Several additional diseases and handicaps were found, including four patients with seizures, three with endocrine dysfunctions, three with eye diseases and three with hearing disorders. This is in accordance with other papers, revealing such disorders among DS-probands. On the average, each patient sees his or her regular doctor six times a year. Various specialists are seen in private practice and out-patient clinics. The use of bed-days by the 38 probands is significantly higher than the non-DS-patients of the county, also with special conditions taken into consideration. Twenty-four patients (63%) received dental care during 1984. Patients living in an institution with its own dental clinic do not see a dentist more often than patients getting their dental care from dentists in private practice. It is concluded that the present study states minimum figures and that adults with DS utilise health services more frequently than the background population. This is due to the findings of many additional diseases and handicaps among this aging group.