Hospital resource consumption among older adults: a prospective analysis of episodes, length of stay, and charges over a seven-year period.

After linking their administrative records and interview data, the consumption of Medicare-reimbursed hospital resources during 1984 through 1990 by the 7,527 LSOA respondents was prospectively assessed using a two-part design. First, logistic regression was used to model whether a hospital episode occurred. Second, among those having had hospital episodes, OLS regression was used to model the number of episodes, as well as the natural logarithms of the total length of stay and the total charges. The risk of hospitalization was mostly associated with being male, prior hospital and physician utilization, and lower body limitations. Among those hospitalized: (a) greater numbers of episodes were mostly associated with prior hospital and physician utilization, and poorer perceived health; (b) longer lengths of stay were mostly associated with prior hospital and physician utilization, and poorer perceived health; and, (c) higher charges were mostly associated with population density, poorer perceived health, and prior physician and hospital utilization. Decedents consistently consumed substantially more hospital resources than survivors.