Health Care Utilization

Using the SPARC definitions, rheumatologic conditions were diagnosed in 621,200 children and adolescent health care visits in 2012, of which 491,300 had a primary diagnosis of a rheumatologic condition. Only 2% of children and adolescents with any rheumatologic diagnoses were hospitalized (13,500), while less than 1% (4,200) with a primary diagnosis of a rheumatologic condition had a hospital discharge. The majority of children and adolescents with a rheumatologic condition diagnosis were seen in physicians’ offices. (Reference Table 7.1.1 PDF [1] CSV [2]; and Table 7.1.2 PDF [3] CSV [4])

Females were hospitalized with a rheumatologic condition at nearly three times the rate of males, both for any diagnoses and as a primary diagnosis. As children age, there is a higher incidence of rheumatologic conditions diagnosis.

Any diagnoses of a rheumatologic condition accounted for just under 3% of hospitalizations for any musculoskeletal condition diagnosis, and 0.2% of all hospitalizations for any health care condition. Hospitalizations with a primary diagnosis of a rheumatologic condition were 0.8% of all musculoskeletal diagnoses and 0.1% of hospitalizations for any health condition diagnosis. (Reference Table 7.9 PDF [5] CSV [6])