people living in finglas and their health - School of Medicine - Trinity ...

RESULTS - PART 1
RESULTS - PART 1
3.7 ACUTE HOSPITAL SERVICES
Proportion of households with one or more members who used hospital services
According to the primary carers, at least one person in two thirds of the households used one or more of the
hospital services in the year prior to the survey. Thirty one percent (102/325) of households had one or more
persons admitted to a hospital during the same period (Table 3.17).
Table 3.17 Primary carers’ reported numbers (%) who attended the hospital
No. %
Used hospital in last 12 months
Yes 215 66.2
No 110 33.8
n 325
Number admitted to hospital
No one 223 68.6
One person 80 24.6
More than one person 22 6.8
n 325
Proportion of individuals who used hospital services in participating households
The primary carers reported that 324 (33.6%) of the 963 individuals residing in the survey households used a
hospital service in the year prior to the survey. This figure was adjusted to take account of the over
representation of the population in the sample who lived in low deprivation district electoral divisions compared
to the proportion living in high deprivation district electoral divisions, and following adjustment, 33.4% of
household members used a hospital service in the year prior to the survey. Seventy-three (7.6%) of all
household members were admitted to hospital in the year prior to the survey. Of those who used the hospital,
43% attended outpatients, 24% attended accident and emergency, 23% were admitted into the hospital and
11% used the day hospital facilities (Figure 3.7).
Figure 3.7 Hospital facilities used by household members as reported by primary carers (n=323)
PERCENTAGE
50
40
30
20
10
0
43.0
Outpatient
HOSPITAL FACILITY USED
23.9
Accident &
emergency
According to the primary carers, of those who attended the hospital, 18% attended as a result of an acute
emergency and 15% had a cardiovascular disease (Figure 3.8).
22.6
Inpatient
10.5
Day case
Figure 3.8 Household members’ reasons for attending hospital as reported by primary carers (n=319)
PERCENTAGE
20
15
10
5
0
18.5
Emergency
15.1
Cardiovascular
11.3
ENT, eye, Dental
9.7 8.5
8.1
6.6 5.6
4.1 3.5 3.5 2.8 2.8
Obstetrics +
Gynaecology
Gastro-Intestinal
Respiratory
REASONS FOR ATTENDING HOSPITAL
Orthopaedic
The primary carers reported just over three fifths had a planned appointment at the time they attended the
hospital (Table 3.18). According to the primary carers, 35% of those who used a hospital service referred
themselves. The respondents reported that 33 of the 324 household members who used the hospital service
were transported by ambulance, of these, 29 were emergency cases.
Similar proportions of household members who reported using a hospital service in the year prior to the survey
were living in the less deprived areas and the more deprived areas (143/444 32% versus 176/519, 34%, p=0.6).
Table 3.18 Primary carers’ reported type of appointment for, channel of referral to and means of transport used
by individuals in their households to attend a hospital service in the 12 months prior to the survey
Utilisation planned or emergency No. %
Planned 200 62.1
Emergency 122 37.9
n 322
Referral to hospital by:
Self 114 35.3
GP 143 44.3
Hospital doctor 62 19.2
Other health professional 4 01.2
n 323
Hospital facility used
Out patient 139 43.0
Accident and emergency 77 23.9
In patient 73 22.6
Day 34 10.5
n 323
Transport used to travel to hospital
Private 189 59.8
Public 94 29.8
Ambulance 33 10.4
n 316
Characteristics and factors associated with those using a hospital service in the last year
Arthritis
Diabetes
Investigations
Cancer
Dermatology
Others
Bi-variate analysis using seven groups of variables (demographic characteristics, socio-economic
characteristics, chronic illness, disability, health related behaviours, other health services utilised and waiting for
health care) indicated that several factors were significantly associated with using a hospital service in the year
prior to the survey.
38
39