Morbidity

Background: Areas of low socio-economic status (SES) have a disproportionate number of emergency medical admissions; we quantitate the profile of multi-morbidity related to SES.

Methods: We developed a logistic multiple variable regression model, based on over 15 years of hospital data, to examine the effect of socio-demography on hospital outcomes.

Results: Admissions from low SES cohort were a decade younger, and had a shorter hospital stay, and lower 30-day episode mortality outcome. The number of morbidities was equivalent between groups, but the more disadvantaged were more likely to have a respiratory diagnosis or diabetes.

Conclusion: Low SES emergency admissions present > 10 yr. earlier than the high SES population; their equivalent multimorbidity, despite a lower age, could reflect accelerated disease progression.