Patient statistics, 2002, preliminary figures

The number of discharges from general hospitals increased from day cases and inpatient stays. There were more than 741 000 inpatient stays during 2002, 2.3 per cent up from the previous year. During 2001, the growth was 4.3 per cent, but this was unusually high. Day treatments in outpatient departments amounted to 189 000 in 2002, and together with the day cases from admitted patients increased by 10.6 per cent. (Approx. the same as in 2001).

Inpatients spent about 4.2 million days in hospitals during 2002. Bed-days per discharge have been decreasing for a number of years, and now equals 5.7 days.

Hospital reform

From January 1. 2002, the government took over the responsibility for the specialist health services, and organizes the activities under 5 regional health enterprises. Before that, the majority of hospitals were run by the counties health administrations. The government now also finances all or some of the services of private hospitals (foundations and commercial ones).

Diagnoses

Of the inpatient stays, cardiovascular diseases are the most common cause of stays, amounting to almost 15 per cent of the total. Cancer is the second most usual main diagnosis -11 per cent.

During 2002, 332 000 men and 406 000 women were discharged from general hospitals. A higher degree of hospitalization of women is mainly due to births and the fact that women live longer than men. 67 000 discharges were caused by pregnancy, birth and postnatal care. Men are hospitalized more often than women because of cardiovascular diseases, and this accounted for 62 000 hospitalizations in 2002.

Outpatient consultations

In 2002 there were a bit more than 3 millions outpatient consultations in publicly financed hospitals. Statistics Norway collected the statistics until 2002, but the statistics are now based on numbers from the Norwegian Patient Register.

Tables:

• Table 1 Inpatient stays at general hospitals, by age and main diagnosis. 2002
• Table 2 Inpatient stays at general hospitals, by sex and main diagnosis. 2002
• Table 3 Inpatient stays, by age, sex, region and county of residence. 2002
• Table 4 Inpatient stays and number of bed-days, by sex and age. 2000-2002
• Table 5 Inpatient stays, bed-days and bed-days per stay, by sex. 1989-2002
• Table 6 Inpatient stays and bed-days per 1000 inhabitants, by sex and age. 2000-2002
• Table 7 Inpatient stays, by health region and patients region of residence. 2002
• Table 8 Number of day cases at general hospitals, by sex and county of residence. 2002
• Table 9 Number of day cases per 1000 inhabitants, by sex and county of residence. 2002
• Table 10 Outpatient consultations, by age, sex and county of residence. 2002
• Table 11 Number of day cases, by Health Region Enterprise and patients region of residence. 2002