Citation

Kopjar B. Eur. J. Public Health 1997; 7(3): 321-327.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1997, Oxford University Press)

DOI

10.1093/eurpub/7.3.321

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The objective was to analyse the utilization of health services and the costs of treatment of unintentional injuries by type of injuries according to the common Nordic classification of injuries. From prospective registration of all injuries seen at the only hospital and emergency clinic in Stavanger, Norway, we selected at random a stratified sample of 2, 819 cases from 7, 019 unintentional injuries that occurred in 1992 among the residents of Stavanger. From medical records, we obtained information about the utilization of health services and estimated medical costs during the first year after injury. Of the patients 70% required only a single out-patient visit, while an additional 20% completed their treatment within the first 30 days after injury. Fifty per cent of the total costs were due to injuries among persons aged 65 years and older. Home and leisure-time injuries accounted for 75% of the total costs. The cost per injury was NOK 3, 807 (US$ 614), NOK 24,831 per hospitalized patient and NOK 1,011 per non-hospitalized patient. The per-injury cost among people aged 65 years and older was NOK 15,428, compared with NOK 2,158 among people aged 0-64 years, the difference primarily due to the increase in the average severity of injury. The per-injury costs were ranked (in descending order): nursing home, undefined, street, home, other home and leisure, traffic, occupational, free nature, sports, school and day care centre/playground injuries. If health care costs are to be reduced by injury prevention, priority should be given to injuries occurring at home and during leisure time and to injuries among elderly people.