Study links social status and hospitalization

Canadians with a lower socio-economic status are more likely to be hospitalized for health issues like mental illness, diabetes and asthma, according to a new study.
The study by the Canadian Institute for Health Information, which looked at Canadians in 15 urban areas, also found that many of the health issues that land these people in the hospital could easily be treated at home or within the community.
Canadians in the lower end of the socio-economic spectrum were more than twice as likely to be hospitalized for chronic conditions that could otherwise be treated in the community. For example, they were 2.4 times more likely to go to the hospital for complications from diabetes and 2.7 times more likely to be admitted for respiratory problems.
“It’s not that they have a higher incident of illness,” said Jason Disano, one of the report’s authors. “They should be able to manage the illnesses at home.”
Disano said this national trend raises some interesting questions. “Why are they going to the hospital? One of the reasons might be because they have less access to services.”
Disano said there are a lot of barriers that make it difficult for poor people to get access to the same medical treatments as Canadians with a higher socio-economic status.
There are a few key issues this study raises, Disano said. “The fact that we see is it’s not just a Montreal, Toronto or Saskatoon problem,” he said. “It’s a Canadian problem.” The health status of the urban population varied from one urban area to another, with the discrepancy being most pronounced in the prairie provinces. Regardless, Disano said there’s no doubt that it’s a national trend.
The study considered Canadians’ income, education, employment and marital status. “These factors do have an impact on sending someone to the hospital,” Disano said.
The study also found Canadians in higher socio-economic status groups consider themselves healthier. “Factors like someone’s level of education and employment status have an effect on how they view their own health,” Disano said.
Generally, it costs the national health-care system significantly more to treat a patient in hospital than it does to treat them within the community.
Solutions to this problem go beyond looking at the health care system. “This study will be important for policy and planning,” Disano said. “Canada is becoming an increasingly urbanized country, so the problem will only get worse.”