title: Health service utilisation in the public and private sector by patients with diabetes mellitus aged less than 40 years.
abstract: This paper uses the Illawarra 0-39 years diabetes register to provide a data base of health service utilisation in the public and private sectors. Eligible patients from the register were divided into a 'stable group' comprising children and adults who had had diabetes for more than one year prior to review and a 'newly diagnosed' group who were followed for one year after diagnosis. The records of inpatient and selected outpatient services at public hospitals as well as visits to general practitioners, paediatricians and physicians were considered. Less than half of all 'newly diagnosed' patients were admitted to hospital for stabilisation and none required readmission in the 12 month review period. Less than one fifth of all 'stable' patients were admitted to hospital during the year. General practitioners were the most frequently used health resource being attended by 31/38 (82%) 'stable children', 122/133 (92%) 'stable adults' and 25/25 (100%) 'newly diagnosed patients'. Public hospital Accident and Emergency Services were the least used health facility being frequented by only 9/38 (24%), 23/133 (17%) and 7/25 (28%) respectively.
authors.affiliation: Illawarra Area Health Service, Wollongong, NSW.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Griffiths
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Moses
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus; D005260:Female; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D009517:New South Wales; D009819:Office Visits / Q000706:statistics & numerical data