Background and Purpose:
To analyze and describe the patterns of ambulatory care utilization by the Down syndrome patients.
Methods:
The 2007-2011 National Health Insurance ambulatory care expenditures by visits records of the Down syndrome people were used to explore the usage of medical resources.
Results:
From 2007 to 2011, the average annual ambulatory visit number in Down syndrome patients was 13.6±16.3 to 12.9±17.0 times per year. The average annual medical expense visit was 30,750.4±48,141.5 dollars to 29,028.2±52,450.6 dollars. Those ages under 18 years old and male patients were associated with higher medical expenses. The top two most frequently visited ambulatory departments were rehabilitation medicine and pediatrics.
Discussion and Conclusion:
In this research, our preliminary result showed that gender, age and intellectual disability had greater influence on the healthcare utilization among Down syndrome. Future researchers can further discuss the relationship between socio-economic status, marital status, complication and their impact on health utilization. The ultimate goal is to achieve reduction of National Health Insurance expense after early rehabilitation in Down syndrome patients.
