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We have used linked hospital morbidity statistics to construct a basic profile of the demographic and epidemiological features of trauma and orthopaedic surgery in a defined population. This paper reports on this profile and illustrates trends in the specialty between 1976-86. During this period episode-based inpatient admission rates rose by about 20%. Multiple admissions per person varied with age but did not increase over time. Thus the increase in admission rates in this specialty represented an increase in numbers of people who received treatment. Average length of stay per episode of inpatient care and the total time spent in hospital per person declined over time. New outpatient attendance rates increased by 19% in the 11-year period. The ratio of follow-up outpatient appointments to new appointments fell from 2.68:1 to 2.24:1; the number of inpatient beds fell by about 13% and bed occupancy remained stable at about 80%. We describe some of the major components of clinical workload in the specialty, with emphasis on conditions for which admission rates changed over time, relating the data to numbers of people treated as well as to episodes of care.

Original publication

DOI

10.1177/095148489500800106

Type

Journal article

Journal

Health services management research

Publication Date

02/1995

Volume

8

Pages

55 - 63

Addresses

Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Oxford.

Keywords

Humans, Wounds and Injuries, Episode of Care, Length of Stay, Patient Admission, Orthopedics, Traumatology, Demography, Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Middle Aged, Child, Child, Preschool, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Bed Occupancy, Surgery Department, Hospital, State Medicine, Workload, Female, Male, United Kingdom