The impact of geographical location on trends in hospitalisation rates and outcomes for fall-related injuries in older people.
CONCLUSIONS: Over the study period, rural residents of NSW had lower rates of fall-related injury hospitalisation and a lower annual increase in hospitalisation rates compared to urban residents. When hospitalised, rural residents had a shorter length-of-stay, but higher rates of readmission and mortality. These differences existed following standardisation.
IMPLICATIONS: This study highlights the need for further research to characterise and explain this variability.
PMID: 27197714 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health - Category: Global & Universal Authors: Sukumar DW, Harvey LA, Mitchell RJ, Close JC Tags: Aust N Z J Public Health Source Type: research