Identifying determinants for hospitalization based on healthcare utilization records

With the support of the Ministry of Health, we looked at the patterns of health care use by Richmond residents as recorded in the Medical Services Plan (MSP) and Hospital Discharge Abstract Databases (DAD). [...] The results of our analysis both confirmed the findings of other similar studies, and also demonstrated predictors of hospital use not well identified previously, such as the absence of a majority source of care provider being a predictor of high hospital use. [...] We also observed significant neighbourhood differences in the risk of hospitalization - higher in the economically better-off areas and lower in the ethno-cultural neighbourhoods, indicating an unbalanced use of hospitals and the needs for appropriate community-level health care planning and management. [...] For each service encounter, the Claims Database records the identity of the person served, the service provider, the nature of the service, and the medical diagnosis necessitating the service. [...] For the purpose of the overall project, the BC Ministry of Health granted limited release, to the Medical Health Officer for Richmond, of MSP and DAD data pertaining to Richmond residents for the fiscal years 2001-02, 2002-03, and 2003-04.