Trends in hospital resource utilization by HIV-infected persons, January 1987–June 1990

Trends in the utilization of various hospital resources by HIV-infected persons between January 1987 and June 1990 have been studied to support health care planning. Data on 126 asymptomatic and symptomatic HIV-infected persons have been recorded at a patient level and analyzed at half-yearly intervals. At a hospital level, increasing utilization trends were observed. At the patient level, a decreasing utilization intensity was measured for admissions, inpatient days, inpatient diagnostic examinations, and outpatient consultations. Increasing utilization intensity was measured for care during admissions. A constant utilization intensity was observed for outpatient diagnostic examinations and inpatient medication days. Use of interventions tended to increase at the end of the study period. Discriminating between trends in the utilization of different hospital resources can improve the management of hospital health care demands of HIV-infected people.