Health use patterns

  Q3

Which health services are utilized most by heavy users of mental health care?

[Answer]

In all areas of health care, a small number of people account for a disproportionately large use of health services. Understanding which services they use can point to where improvements might occur.

This graph shows health service use for high-cost mental health care users in Ontario Canada in 2012. It represents 48,939 people, for whom mental health services accounted for at least 50 per cent of their health care costs.

As seen in the graph, mental health care clients used services for both mental health and non-mental health care. This differed dramatically from other high-cost users (not shown). The research also revealed that mental health care users were younger, lived in lower-income neighbourhoods, and most of their health care costs were due to hospitalization

The researchers are now developing a predictive model to identify mental health care users at highest risk of future hospitalization.

  Source: Dr. Claire de Oliveira

---