HCUP Facts and Figures

TABLE OF CONTENTS

HIGHLIGHTS

INTRODUCTION

HCUP PARTNERS

1. OVERVIEW

2. DIAGNOSES

3. PROCEDURES

4. COSTS

5. PAYERS

SOURCES/METHODS

DEFINITIONS

FOR MORE INFO

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

CITATION

FACTS & FIGURES 2007 PDF

EXHIBIT 1.5 Patient Age PDF

Distribution of U.S. population and hospital discharges by age, 1997 and 2007. Column chart. Percent distribution. 1997. Population. Less than 1: 1%; 1 to 17: 25%; 18 to 44: 40%; 45 to 64: 21%; 65 to 84: 11%; 85 and over: 1%. 1997. Discharges. Less than 1: 13%; 1 to 17: 5%; 18 to 44: 27%; 45 to 64: 19%; 65 to 84: 29%; 85 and over: 7%. 2007. Population. Less than 1: 1%; 1 to 17: 23%; 18 to 44: 38%; 45 to 64: 25%; 65 to 84: 11%; 85 and over: 2%. 2007. Discharges. Less than 1: 13%; 1 to 17: 4%; 18 to 44: 26%; 45 to 64: 23%; 65 to 84: 26%; 85 and over: 7%.
Note: Chart excludes less than 41,000 discharges (0.1%) with missing age.

In both 1997 and 2007, older people accounted for a disproportionately larger share of hospitalizations compared to their proportion in the population.

While people 65 years and older represented 13 percent of the population in 1997 and 2007, they comprised 36 and 33 percent of all hospitalizations in those years.
The younger patient age groups had a lower proportion of hospitalizations relative to their representation in the population.

In 1997 and 2007, patients 18-64 years of age, at 61 and 63 percent of the population, accounted for 46 and 49 percent of hospitalizations.
Those under age 18, at roughly a quarter of the population in 1997 and 2007, accounted for 18 percent or less of the hospital stays.

Growth in discharges and U.S. population by age, 1997 through 2007. Column chart. Cumulative percent growth. Growth in population. All discharges: 11%; less than 1: 13%; 1 to 17: 4%; 18 to 44: 3%; 45 to 64: 36%; 65 to 84: 6%; 85 and over: 41%. Growth in discharges. All discharges: 14%; less than 1: 16%; 1 to 17: -9%; 18 to 44: 10%; 45 to 64: 41%; 65 to 84: 2%; 85 and over: 25%.
Note: Excludes less than 41,000 discharges (0.1%) with missing age.

Overall, the number of discharges grew 14 percent from 1997 to 2007 and the total U.S. population grew at a similar rate—11 percent. Growth in the number of discharges and the overall population varied among age groups over this period.

The 45-64 year old group (including baby boomers) and those 85 years and older grew rapidly—36 percent and 41 percent, respectively, outpacing growth in other age groups. For 45-64 year olds, growth in hospitalizations (41 percent) kept pace with population increases. For individuals 85 years and older, however, population growth at 41 percent exceeded the 25-percent growth in hospitalizations.
Population grew more moderately for younger age groups (0-44 year olds) and for those 65-84 years old. With the exception of the 1-17 age group in which hospitalizations declined by 9 percent, growth in hospitalizations was similar to population growth.

Discharges per 1,000 population by age, 1997 and 2007. Bar chart. Number of discharges per 1,000 population. 1997. Less than 1: 1,180; 1 to 17: 27; 18 to 44: 86; 45 to 64: 116; 65 to 84: 332; 85 and over: 605. 2007. Less than 1: 1,204; 1 to 17: 24; 18 to 44: 91; 45 to 64: 119; 65 to 84: 317; 85 and over: 536.

Discharges for an age group divided by the number of people in that age group (discharges per 1,000 population) show that older age is associated with a greater chance of hospitalization.

Across all age groups, there were 131 discharges for every 1,000 persons in the United States in 2007, little changed from the rate of 128 discharges in 1997.
There were less than 30 hospital stays for every 1,000 children 1 to 17 years old in 1997 and 2007.
For adults 85 and older, there were 605 stays in 1997 and 536 stays in 2007 per 1,000 persons.
The one exception to the rising rate of hospitalization as the population ages was for infants younger than 1 year of age. This group experienced roughly 1,200 hospitalizations per 1,000 infants in 1997 and 2007. This high rate of hospital stays occurs because nearly all births occur in the hospital and some infants require additional hospitalization in the first year of life.

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