Utilization of inpatient medical care in Germany

Inpatient care is an important pillar of the health care system. Data from health surveys enable to analyse the utilization of inpatient treatment from the patient’s perspective, and to identify associations to social determinants and other influencing factors. As part of the GEDA 2014/2015-EHIS study, data was collected for the indicator ‘utilization of inpatient medical care during the last 12 months’. The data analysis shows that 16.9% of women and 15.3% of men were admitted to hospital at least once during the last 12 months. The utilization of inpatient treatment depends on age: among people aged 65 or above, 25.9% of women and 25.8% of men were admitted to hospital during the last 12 months. Almost no significant differences in utilization were identified in regard to gender, with the exception of the 18-to-29 age group, where admittance to hospital was more common among women than men. In terms of education, people with the lowest level of education have a higher utilization of inpatient care, and this is particularly the case in middle age.