title: Changing patterns of hospital admissions for patients with rheumatic diseases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To audit trends in hospital admission of patients with rheumatic diseases to a rheumatology unit.
  
  
  METHODS
  Numbers of admissions for 1990-1999 were reviewed. Notes of patients admitted in 1993, 5, 7 and 9 were reviewed for principal diagnosis and other data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a 75% decline in admissions during the study period. There was a significant fall in admissions for control of active rheumatoid arthritis which declined from 53% to 21% of total admissions (p=0.004).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the last decade in Otago there has been a substantial decrease in patient admissions for treatment. This was mainly due to decreased admissions for treatment of flares of rheumatoid arthritis and its complications. Determining if this was due merely to more rigorous admission criteria or improved effectiveness of treatment of rheumatoid arthritis will be important for guiding decisions on healthcare services for patients with rheumatic diseases.
authors.affiliation: Rheumatic Diseases Unit, Dunedin Hospital and Dunedin School of Medicine.
authors.forename: Shelley
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Collings
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Highton
mesh_terms: D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D009520:New Zealand; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases