Hospitalisation in adults with intellectual disabilities compared with the general population in Norway.
In Norway, adults with ID enter the hospital only slightly more than others, mostly because of injuries, not chronic disease.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Researchers checked every hospital stay in Norway. They compared adults with intellectual disability to the general public.
They counted how often each group entered the hospital and how long they stayed.
The team also listed the main reasons for admission.
What they found
Adults with ID were hospitalized only a little more than other adults.
Their average length of stay was almost the same.
The top cause of admission was injury or poisoning, not long-term illness.
How this fits with other research
Schroeder et al. (2014) saw longer stays and more ICU use in U.S. academic hospitals. The gap closed when Norway’s whole population was counted, not just big centers.
Patton et al. (2020) found U.S. adults with IDD are 28 % more likely to enter hospital because of medication errors. Nijs et al. (2016) did not split out drug harm, so the two papers together say: overall rates match, but medicine safety still lags.
Sutton et al. (2022) showed U.S. emergency rooms admit adults with ID at four times the usual rate. The Norwegian data calm the fear of constant hospital use, but the ED funnel remains a hot spot you can watch.
Why it matters
You can tell families that, on average, their adult with ID is not doomed to endless hospital stays. Still, injuries drive admissions, so teach safety skills at home and in the community. Track medication effects closely, and prep clients for ED visits to reduce crisis admissions.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Add a safety chain analysis to the BSP: teach clients to label sharp items, use pedestrian rules, and ask for help when hurt.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Previous studies have found that adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) are hospitalised more often than the general population (GP). This study investigates hospital discharge rates and main diagnostic causes for hospitalisation among administratively defined people with ID compared with the GP in Norway. METHOD: Data from the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Service was combined with data from the Norwegian Patient Register (Ntotal = 1 764 072 and NID = 7573) for the period 2008-2011. Data from a Norwegian patient report generator and Statistics Norway are also analysed. RESULTS: During the study period, 11% of people with ID and 11.5% of the GP were admitted to hospitals. The length of the average hospital stay was just over 4 days for both groups. Among those who were hospitalised, the majority were only admitted to hospital once during the study period: ID 66% and GP 70%. People with ID were admitted somewhat more often than people in the GP. Contrary to the GP, adults with ID were more frequently hospitalised at a younger age and less frequently at old age. The most common International Classification of Diseases diagnostic group for hospitalisation among people with ID is injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes, whereas for the GP, it is diseases of the circulatory system. CONCLUSION: This study finds that the proportion of people being hospitalised per year is statistically, but only slightly, different among adult people with ID and the GP. The results must be interpreted in light of the organisation of the health care system in Norway.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2016 · doi:10.1111/jir.12255