RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Trends in use of medical services by the elderly in British Columbia
JF Canadian Medical Association Journal
JO CMAJ
FD Canadian Medical Association
SP 39
OP 45
VO 141
IS 1
A1 M. L. Barer
A1 I. R. Pulcins
A1 R. G. Evans
A1 C. Hertzman
A1 J. Lomas
A1 G. M. Anderson
YR 1989
UL http://www.cmaj.ca/content/141/1/39.abstract
AB We analysed physician fee-for-service use in British Columbia from 1974-75 to 1985-86. Over the study period use increased by 5.3% per year. This can be factored into increases attributable to changes in the age structure of the population (0.4% per year), general population growth (1.8%, for a combined annual "population effect" of 2.2%) and age-specific increases in per-capita use (3% per year). The average annual increase for people aged 75 years or more was 5.5% per capita. The area with the fastest growth in use by the elderly was specialist care, particularly diagnostic services. The average number of specialists seen by people aged 75 years or more doubled over the study period. Our results suggest that increased per-capita use among the elderly that is unrelated to aging of the population should be the main focus of future policy attention. Additional analyses are needed to determine the underlying dynamics of this dramatic increase in rates of use among the elderly.