Table 5

Use of health services associated with a large-scale notification

AOR for outpatient care, quarterly post notification
AOR for next year95% CI1234
Over age 65 years (n=20 210)
VA utilisation
 Outpatient medicine0.88(0.625 to 1.229)2.21**0.32**0.42**0.27**
 Emergency care1.73**(1.358 to 2.197)2.67**1.341.181.39
 Urgent care3.54**(2.073 to 6.043)NE7.68**3.92*1.75
 Outpatient surgery0.75*(0.574 to 0.983)0.59*0.710.720.74
 Other outpatient care1.46*(1.068 to 2.002)1.001.251.110.97
 Inpatient care0.86(0.657 to 1.130)
Medicare utilisation
 Outpatient medicine1.37**(1.118 to 1.675)1.38**1.44**1.241.17
 Emergency care1.19(0.935 to 1.509)1.061.47*1.331.02
 Urgent care0.49(0.160 to 1.477)NE1.060.150.36
 Outpatient surgery2.05**(1.229 to 3.418)2.621.641.841.18
 Other outpatient care0.97(0.750 to 1.259)0.861.080.890.80
 Any inpatient1.14(0.874 to 1.496)
 Short stay1.19(0.901 to 1.570)
 Long stay0.69(0.254 to 1.873)
 Skilled Nursing1.68(0.941 to 3.010)
Under age 65 years (n=34 702)
VA utilisation
 Outpatient medicine1.85**(1.534 to 2.234)6.07**0.790.830.64**
 Emergency care1.47**(1.274 to 1.690)1.54**1.31*1.30*1.25*
 Urgent care5.38**(3.776 to 7.671)13.24**12.30**3.65**4.19**
 Outpatient surgery0.85(0.700 to 1.027)0.67*0.73*0.800.95
 Other outpatient care2.02**(1.626 to 2.516)1.57**1.27**1.30**1.28**
 Inpatient care1.00(0.830 to 1.216)
  • These services exclude any visits that include HCV, HIV or HBV testing Current Procedural Terminology codes.

  • Models control for patient-level clustering.

  • *p<0.05, **p<0.01; Robust 95% CI in parentheses.

  • AOR, adjusted OR; HCV, hepatitis C virus; HBV, hepatitis B virus; NE, not estimable given low use of urgent care.