The Epidemiologist's Dream: Denmark

Frank, Lone

doi:10.1126/science.301.5630.163

Cited by 99 publications

(79 citation statements)

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“…17 However, the diagnoses recorded in the Danish registries have been shown to be sufficiently accurate to be used in numerous epidemiological studies. 18,19 As noted above, patients whose conditions are not particularly severe might not be admitted during periods of severe bed shortage, which could have biased our results.We cannot exclude the possibility that sample selection bias could at least partly explain the association we observed between high bed occupancy rates and mortality rates. However, we had the statistical power to take into account several measures of disease severity and increased mortality risk, including age; sex; International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision (ICD-10), diagnosis codes; and the thirtyone indicators in the Elixhauser comorbidity index.…”

Section: Study Data and Methodsmentioning

confidence: 89%

High Levels Of Bed Occupancy Associated With Increased Inpatient And Thirty-Day Hospital Mortality In Denmark

2014

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High bed occupancy rates have been considered a matter of reduced patient comfort and privacy and an indicator of high productivity for hospitals. Hospitals with bed occupancy rates of above 85 percent are generally considered to have bed shortages. Little attention has been paid to the impact of these shortages on patients' outcomes. We analyzed all 2.65 million admissions to Danish hospitals' departments of medicine in the period 1995-2012. We found that high bed occupancy rates were associated with a significant 9 percent increase in rates of in-hospital mortality and thirty-day mortality, compared to low bed occupancy rates. Being admitted to a hospital outside of normal working hours or on a weekend or holiday was also significantly associated with increased mortality. The health risks of bed shortages, including mortality, could be better documented as a priority health issue. Resources should be allocated to researching the causes and effects of bed shortages, with the aim of creating greater interest in exploring new methods to avoid or reduce bed shortages.

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Section: Study Data and Methodsmentioning

confidence: 89%

High Levels Of Bed Occupancy Associated With Increased Inpatient And Thirty-Day Hospital Mortality In Denmark

2014

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“…The Danish CRS allowed for a population-based recruitment of subjects. 21,50 Limitations In our cross-sectional design, cohort effects may have biased the univariate observations between age and both outcomes. Studies of the secular trends in male obesity and physical fitness indicate an increase in body fatness and a decrease in fitness in Danish adolescents in recent decades.…”

Section: Representativenessmentioning

confidence: 90%

Prevalence of overweight, obesity and physical inactivity in 20- to 29-year-old, Danish men. Relation to sociodemography, physical dysfunction and low socioeconomic status: the Odense Androgen Study

et al. 2006

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“…24,25 We linked records from the different registries by the civil registration number, which is a unique administrative identifier that is assigned at birth to Danish residents.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%