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85 and older (19.7 percent). Taking into account the size of the underlying population of each
age group, adults age 85 and older had the greatest inpatient discharge rate (4,359.5/10,000),
followed by those age 75-84 (3,002.4/10,000), and finally adults age 65 ? 74 (1,939.8/10,000).
UnlikeER discharges inwhich either ambiguous symptoms or acute injury accounted for the
largest number of discharges, the single highest first-listed principal diagnosis for inpatient
dischargeswere diseases of specific body systems, including the circulatory (n=57,032),
respiratory (n=57,032), digestive (n=24,626), andmusculoskeletal (n= 21,039) systems.
Anumber of inpatient discharge rateswere drasticallygreater for the oldest Arizonans compared
to those ages 65-74. For the first-listed diagnosis of all fractures, the rate for the oldest old
(206.6/10,000)was 829 percent greater than the rate for the youngest old (19.6/10,000). Inpatient
discharges for diseases of the genitourinary systemwere 216 percent greater forArizonans age
85 and older (321.9/10,000) than forArizonans ages 65-74 (102.0/10,000). For disease of the
circulatory system includingheart disease, the inpatient discharge rate of the oldest Arizonans
(510.2/10,000)was 151 percent higher thanwas the inpatient discharge rate of adults ages 65 ?
74 (203.0/10,000). Finally, inpatient hospitalizations for pneumoniawere 255 percent greater for
Arizona?s oldest old (214.4/10,000) as compared toArizona?s youngest old (60.4/10,000).
4.4Conclusion
Analysis of demographic characteristics and first-listed diagnoses onER and inpatient HDDdata
provides a useful snapshot of the impact of aging on those utilizing the healthcare system in
Arizona. According to theHDDdata, the demographic characteristics of agingArizonans being
discharged from hospitals becomes less diversewith age,meaning that adults in older age groups
weremore likely to beWhite non-Hispanic and female. These results reflect thatminoritygroups
haveworse health and experiencemortality earlier in life thanWhite non-Hispanics, and that
female life expectancy tends to be greater thanmale life expectancy. The fact that females tend
to live longer thanmales helps explain the fact that the number of hospital discharges to
widowedArizonans increaseswith age. Another fact associatedwith the increased rate of
inpatient andER discharges among the oldest Arizonans is thatmorbidity rates increase in the
latest years of life, which are disproportionately experienced byWhite non-Hispanic females.
TheseArizonans experience some of themost severemorbidities associatedwith aging and
chronic disease andwarrant increased attentionwhen developing future policy concerninghealth
and aging.
Examining first-listed diagnosis onHDDER and inpatient discharges gives us information on
what specificmorbidities are being experienced byArizona?s agingpopulation. Amongolder
Arizonans, the overall counts of ER and inpatient dischargeswere higher for adults in the
youngest old (ages 65 ? 74), but the rate of discharges increased for the oldest Arizonans (age 85
and older), and in some cases, this increasewas substantial. The overall rate of ER discharges
wasmore than 100 percent higher forArizonans in the oldest versus the youngest age group, and
this held true for bothER and inpatient discharges. Specificmorbiditieswere especially
prevalent amongArizona?s oldest adults, with bothER and inpatient discharges reflectinghigher
rates of fractures andmany chronic diseases including those of the circulatory and genitourinary
