Trends and patterns of cause-specific hospitalizations in mainland Portugal between 2000 and 2016

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2022

Authors

Novo, R (Author) Other; Souza, J (Author) Other; Dias, BM (Author) Other; Viana, J (Author) FMUP; Lobo, M (Author) Other; Freitas A (Author) FMUP; Santos, JV (Author) FMUP

Journal

Title: Public Health

Vol. 207

Pages: 62-72

ISSN: 0033-3506

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 1 Citation

Scopus - 1 Citation

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00W-J3N

DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2022.03.001

Abstract (EN): Objectives: This study aimed to describe trends and patterns of cause-specific hospitalizations in mainland Portugal between 2000 and 2016. Study design: This was a retrospective observational study based on hospital discharge data during the period 2000-2016 in mainland Portugal. Methods: All inpatient hospital discharges among mainland Portuguese public hospitals were considered to evaluate trends and patterns over the years through hospitalization proportions, number of hospitalizations, age-standardized hospitalization rates (direct standardization using the European standard population), and the number of in-hospital stay days (bed-days). Health Cost and Utilization Project Clinical Classifications Software was used to categorize and cluster inpatients' principal diagnosis. Results: Between 2000 and 2002 and between 2014 and 2016, age-standardized hospitalization rates decreased by 8.6%. Moreover, liveborn, diseases of the heart, and respiratory infections were the leading hospitalization causes in both periods with a variation of -8.8%, -8.3%, and 13.4% on agestandardized hospitalization rate, respectively. The age-standardized hospitalization rate due to bacterial infection increased by 108.7%. Respiratory diseases are the leading cause responsible for more in-hospital stay days in the period 2014-2016 (48.6% increase). All Portuguese regions presented decreasing overall trends in their age-standardized hospitalization rates in the study period, yet increasing trends were observed until 2004 except for the Lisbon region; in addition, the number of inhospital stay days remained relatively stable through time. Conclusions: Hospitalizations in mainland Portugal decreased between 2000 and 2016 with heterogeneous patterns considering time, age group, and gender. Aspiration pneumonitis; food/vomitus, diseases of the white blood cells, other nutritional, endocrine, and metabolic disorders, bacterial infection, and pathological fractures revealed substantial increases, and further evaluations and monitoring are required.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 11