Day-patient admissions further up

Over the past 15 years, the total amount of day-patient hospital admissions has soared. The number of in-patient hospital admissions, defined as admissions including at least one overnight hospital stay, did not increase. Additional information on new trends with respect to hospital admissions can be accessed in the visualisation module  of hospital admissions. 

Threefold increase day-patient admissions

In 2007, the hospital admission rate for day patients was 995 per 10 thousand residents, nearly 3 times as high as in 1993 . More and more treatments can be given without patents having to spend one or more nights in hospital. Since 2001, extra money has also been made available to reduce hospital waiting lists. As a result, day and in-patient admissions have risen. Additionally, a number of new treatments have become available for diseases like Multiple Sclerosis (MS), rheumatism and psoriasis. They do not require an overnight stay in hospital.

Hospital admissions

Six times as many day admissions for MS

The number of day-patient admissions per 10  thousand residents for MS increased sixfold between 1993 and 2007. During MS treatments, specific medication is more often administered by an intravenous drip during day treatment. Such treatments are also applied more and more often to patients suffering from rheumatic diseases. The amount of day-patient admissions has indeed risen from 0.2 to 10.3 per 10 thousand residents over the past 15 years. The increase occurred between 2000 and 2003, when this type of rheumatism treatment was introduced.

Day-patient hospital admissions for various diseases

Day-patient admissions for psoriasis have also risen sharply, chiefly due to the introduction of alternative therapies, like exposure to UV light for psoriasis patients after a saltwater bath, ointment treatment or intravenous administration of specific medication. Such treatments are currently more often given in outpatient centres.

Janneke Ploemacher

Source: Hospital admissions