The impact of substance use disorders on hospital use : Répercussions des troubles liés aux substances sur l'utilisation des services hospitaliers : rapport technique

The underlying patient data set included not only the cost estimate, but also the total length of stay of the patient, enabling the calculation of an average per diem cost by Case Mix 9 In addition to the possibility that length of stay might be inflated for certain conditions and populations, there is also the potential for over counting of records and underestimation of LOS. [...] The number of hospital stays for those with an alcohol-related disorder increased over 15% from 16,996 in 2006 to 19,617 in 2011 (see Figure 1) whereas the number of all hospital stays attributable to substances other than alcohol increased at a rate of approximately 5%, from 14,441 in 2006 to 15,129 in 2011, one-third the increase of alcohol-related disorders. [...] In contrast, the number of hospital stays for those with a primary diagnosis of disorders due to the use of opioids, cannabinoids and other stimulants rose during the same time. [...] Percentage of Hospital Stays To provide some context, the number of hospital stays attributable to SUDs were compared with the number of general hospital stays attributable to any disorder in Canada. [...] Length of Stay While the number of hospital stays is an indicator of the extent to which individuals with SUDs seek treatment in a hospital setting, days stayed in hospital is an indicator of the degree to which various SUDs consume hospital resources.