Background/Purpose: To analyze and describe the patterns of ambulatory care utilization by the intellectual disability older people. Methods: The 2007 National Health Insurance ambulatory care expenditures by visits records of intellectual disability older people were used to explore the usage of medical resources. Results: The average ambulatory visit number of sample was 35.5±27.8 times per year, which was much higher general elderly. The average medical expense per visit was 1191.6±3566.9 dollars and 42334.2±73558.4 dollars annually. The three most frequent principal diagnoses of elderly ambulatory visits were diseases of the circulatory system, diseases of the respiratory system, diseases of the nervous system and sense organs, and diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue. Conclusion: The mean frequency of ambulatory visits of the intellectual disability older people in Taiwan was higher than that of general population. How to provide health education and preventive services to intellectual disability elderly is an important issue, in terms of reduction the HNI expanse.
Date:
2011-12
Relation:
Taiwan Journal of Gerontological Health Research. 2011 Dec;7(2):94-110.
