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Chronic illicit drug use, health services utilization and the cost of medical care

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  • French, Michael T.
  • McGeary, Kerry Anne
  • Chitwood, Dale D.
  • McCoy, Clyde B.

Abstract

Few studies have examined the relationships between drug use, health services utilization and the cost of medical care for a community-based sample of drug users. The purpose of this study was to analyze recently collected data on chronic drug users (CDUs), CDUs who were also injecting drug users (IDUs) and non-drug users (NDUs) to determine whether these groups exhibited differences in health services utilization and cost. In addition to descriptive analyses, these relationships were estimated with multivariate regression models. Data were collected in 1996 and 1997 through a standardized self-reported questionnaire administered to individuals who were recruited through community outreach activities in the USA. Annual differences in health services utilization between CDUs, IDUs and NDUs were estimated for three measures: number of times admitted to a hospital, number of outpatient visits and number of emergency room episodes. Results of this study indicate that CDUs and IDUs consumed significantly more inpatient and emergency care, but less outpatient services relative to NDUs. Analyses of total health care costs showed that CDUs and IDUs each generated about $1000 in excess services utilization per individual relative to NDUs. This research is the first study to compare differences in health services utilization and cost among out-of-treatment drug users relative to a matched group of non-users in a community-based setting. The findings suggest that health care providers and managed care organizations should consider policies that promote more ambulatory care and discourage emergency room and inpatient care among drug users. Innovative and culturally acceptable approaches may be necessary to provide incentives without posing unusual financial hardship.

Suggested Citation

  • French, Michael T. & McGeary, Kerry Anne & Chitwood, Dale D. & McCoy, Clyde B., 2000. "Chronic illicit drug use, health services utilization and the cost of medical care," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 50(12), pages 1703-1713, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:50:y:2000:i:12:p:1703-1713
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Meena Mahadevan & John Ruzsilla, 2012. "Assessing the Nutritional Health Outcomes of African American Women with HIV and Substance Abuse Disorders Using a Socioecological Approach," SAGE Open, , vol. 2(3), pages 21582440124, September.
    2. Roebuck, M. Christopher & French, Michael T. & Dennis, Michael L., 2004. "Adolescent marijuana use and school attendance," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(2), pages 133-141, April.
    3. Michael T. French & Ioana Popovici, 2011. "That instrument is lousy! In search of agreement when using instrumental variables estimation in substance use research," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 20(2), pages 127-146, February.
    4. Ginetta Salvalaggio & Robert McKim & Marliss Taylor & T. Cameron Wild, 2013. "Patient–Provider Rapport in the Health Care of People Who Inject Drugs," SAGE Open, , vol. 3(4), pages 21582440135, October.
    5. Michael T. French & M. Christopher Roebuck & Pierre Kébreau Alexandre, 2001. "Illicit Drug Use, Employment, and Labor Force Participation," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 68(2), pages 349-368, October.
    6. Pierre Kébreau Alexandre & Michael T. French, 2004. "Further Evidence on the Labor Market Effects of Addiction: Chronic Drug Use and Employment in Metropolitan Miami," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 22(3), pages 382-393, July.
    7. Caterina Ledda & Francesca Cicciù & Beatrice Puglisi & Tiziana Ramaci & Giuseppe Nunnari & Venerando Rapisarda, 2017. "Attitude of Health Care Workers (HCWs) toward Patients Affected by HIV/AIDS and Drug Users: A Cross-Sectional Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-8, March.
    8. Coast, Joanna, 2018. "A history that goes hand in hand: Reflections on the development of health economics and the role played by Social Science & Medicine, 1967–2017," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 196(C), pages 227-232.
    9. Gerald Kennally, 2001. "Regulating the Trade in Recreational Drugs," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 11(1), pages 69-82, January.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Drug use Health services Cost USA;

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