Assessing excess health service utilisation and direct medical costs following an index injury using linked, anonymised, datasets

The aim of this study is to develop improved measures of health service utilisation (HSU) and direct medical costs following the occurrence of an index injury, utilising several large scale datasets linked via an anonymous individual identifier.

Initially, a cohort of anonymous injury patients attending an emergency department (ED) or admitted to hospital will be identified and tracked as they progress through various recovery stages following their index injury, incorporating not only ED attendances and inpatient stay but also outpatient treatment. To determine the extent of the subsequent HSU and direct medical costs associated with the index injury a unique model will be developed whereby the numbers, lengths and treatment costs of health service contacts observed amongst the cohort of injured individuals during the follow-up period will be compared with the equivalent figures expected in the absence of an injury.

Together with identifying the types of injury and subgroups of the population most likely to impose a burden on certain healthcare sectors, thereby indicating the priority areas in greatest need of intervention/prevention, this study will attempt to signify the magnitude of the HSU and direct medical costs that arise following the occurrence of an index injury and present a new approach to estimating the size of these outcome measures.

Contact Details: Steven Macey s.m.macey@swansea.ac.uk

Date posted: 1st October 2010