Inpatient and Day Surgery Use by Children in Ontario

In recent years, policies have been made to limit resource-intensive services such as inpatient care in favour of increased care in the community. While this change is not limited to the pediatric population, there are some important considerations when analyzing trends in healthcare utilization among children.

This research atlas highlights trends in inpatient healthcare service utilization among children from 1992 to 1998. The findings show no dramatic change in the types of childhood diseases requiring hospitalization, and an overall trend of fewer pediatric inpatient admissions, with no significant regional variation. Two exceptions were noted: infants with jaundice and dehydration, and teenagers with psychiatric disorders.