@article{ref1,
title="Trends in fall-related hospital admissions in older persons in the Netherlands",
journal="Archives of internal medicine",
year="2010",
author="Hartholt, Klaas A. and van der Velde, Nathalie and Looman, Caspar W. N. and van Lieshout, Esther M. M. and Panneman, Martien J. M. and van Beeck, Eduard F. and Patka, Peter and van der Cammen, Tischa J. M.",
volume="170",
number="10",
pages="905-911",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Fall-related injuries, hospitalizations, and mortality among older persons represent a major public health problem. Owing to aging societies worldwide, a major impact on fall-related health care demand can be expected. We determined time trends in numbers and incidence of fall-related hospital admissions and in admission duration in older adults. METHODS: Secular trend analysis of fall-related hospital admissions in the older Dutch population from 1981 through 2008, using the National Hospital Discharge Registry. All fall-related hospital admissions in persons 65 years or older were extracted from this database. Outcome measures were the numbers, and the age-specific and age-adjusted incidence rates (per 10 000 persons) of fall-related hospital admissions in each year of the study. RESULTS: From 1981 through 2008, fall-related hospital admissions increased by 137%. The annual age-adjusted incidence growth was 1.3% for men vs 0.7% for women (P < .001). The overall incidence rate increased from 87.7 to 141.2 per 10 000 persons (an increase of 61%). Age-specific incidence increased in all age groups, in both men and women, especially in the oldest old (>75 years). Although the incidence of fall-related hospital admissions increased, the total number of fall-related hospital days was reduced by 20% owing to a reduction in admission duration. CONCLUSIONS: In the Netherlands, numbers of fall-related hospital admissions among older persons increased drastically from 1981 through 2008. The increasing fall-related health care demand has been compensated for by a reduced admission duration. These figures demonstrate the need for implementation of falls prevention programs to control for increases of fall-related health care consumption.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0003-9926",
doi="10.1001/archinternmed.2010.106",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archinternmed.2010.106"
}