Abstract
Objective
To compare physician and hospital utilization rates by children across subregions of Manitoba.
Methods
1998/99 data for physician visits and hospitalizations for children aged 0 to 19 were extracted from the Population Health Research Data Repository. Rates of utilization were compared across 12 regions (RHAs) within Manitoba, and 12 community areas within Winnipeg. Rates were also compared across premature mortality rates (PMR) and area income levels.
Results
Substantial regional variation was found for utilization rates. The hospitalization rate for children from the three northern RHAs (highest PMRs) (114/1000) was almost four times the Winnipeg rate (30/1000) and almost double the rate for the rural south RHAs (lowest PMRs) (59/1000). The variation among regions in physician visits ranged from under 2 visits in 2 of the northern RHAs to almost 4 visits in urban areas. However, the low visit rates in rural RHAs are offset somewhat by greater use of nurses. Hospitalizations and physician visits were also related to area income level.
Conclusion
Findings are discussed in terms of health care need.
Résumé
Objectif
Comparer les taux d’hospitalisation et de visites chez le médecin pour les enfants des sous-régions du Manitoba.
Méthode
les données de 1998–1999 sur les visites chez le médecin et les hospitalisations des enfants (de 0 à 19 ans), proviennent du Population Health Research Data Repository. On a comparé les taux respectifs dans 12 ORS du Manitoba et 12 CR de Winnipeg, et comparés ces taux aux TMP et aux niveaux de revenu régionaux.
Résultats
D’importants écarts régionaux ont été observés. Le taux d’hospitalisation des enfants des trois ORS nordiques (dont les TMP étaient les plus élevés) (114/1 000) était près de quatre fois celui de Winnipeg (30/1 000) et près du double de celui des ORS du Sud rural (dont les TMP étaient les moins élevés) (59/1 000). Pour ce qui est des visites chez le médecin, elles étaient inférieures à deux dans deux des ORS nordiques, mais allaient jusqu’à quatre dans les agglomérations urbaines. Toutefois, le faible taux des visites chez le médecin dans les ORS ruraux était compensé dans une certaine mesure par le recours accru aux infirmières. Les hospitalisations et les visites chez le médecin présentaient aussi un lien avec le niveau de revenu.
Conclusion
Ces constatations sont examinées dans l’optique des besoins en soins de santé.
Footnotes
The full report “Assessing the Health of Children in Manitoba: A Population-Based Study” on which this article is based is available from the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy at the above address or online at: https://doi.org/www.umanitoba.ca/centres/mchp/reports.htm
Sources of support: This work was supported as part of a project on child health in Manitoba, one of several projects undertaken each year by the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy under contract to Manitoba Health. The results and conclusions are those of the authors and no official endorsement by Manitoba Health was intended or should be inferred. Dr. Brownell was also supported by a New Investigator Award from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
Formerly of the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy
Formerly of the MCHP
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