Population trends in intensive care unit admissions in the united states among medicare beneficiaries, 2006-2015

BACKGROUND: Admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) is
costly and strains health system resources. Accurate estimates of population-level ICU admission rates could aid in
disaster planning, training a suitable critical care workforce,
and targeting policy interventions to reduce admissions that
are low-value or discordant with patient preferences.

OBJECTIVE: To overcome limitations of prior estimates of
ICU use (2) by evaluating nationally representative data and
examining geographic differences in admission incidence.

METHODS AND FINDINGS: Using the entire Medicare Provider Analysis and Review file, we evaluated all hospitalizations involving acute and ICU care (including cardiac intensive care but not intermediate care) between 2006 and 2015 among Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries aged 65 years
or older. We calculated person-years of coverage using the Medicare Provider Analysis and Review Denominator file.

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute ( NHLBI)
National Institute on Aging ( NIA)