Abstract | OBJECTIVES: To determine the disease burden, measured by resource utilization, of four urologic conditions among veteran users of U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare services and to assess variations by selected sociodemographic characteristics. METHODS: RESULTS: Among veteran users of VA healthcare services, when defined as the primary reason for the visit, the prevalence of BPH/LUTS was 4811 per 100,000 veterans (4.8%); the prevalence of KS was 597 per 100,000 (0.6%); the prevalence of UTI was 4265 and 1719 per 100,000 female and male veterans, respectively (4.3% and 1.7%); and the prevalence of UI was 2161 and 515 per 100,000 female and male veterans, respectively (2.2% and 0.5%). Prevalence of these conditions when ascertained by capturing diagnoses appearing as secondary reasons for a physician visit was much higher. CONCLUSIONS: Although we expected the prevalence of urologic conditions to be high among veterans who use the VA system for care, we found the burden of urologic disease among veterans to be comparable to other national data sets. Prevalence estimates based on primary diagnosis, rather than secondary or "any" diagnosis, significantly underestimated the disease burden among veterans.
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Authors | Jennifer T Anger, Christopher S Saigal, MingMing Wang, Elizabeth M Yano, Urologic Diseases in America Project |
Journal | Urology
(Urology)
Vol. 72
Issue 1
Pg. 37-41; discussion 41
(Jul 2008)
ISSN: 1527-9995 [Electronic] United States |
PMID | 18342928
(Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural)
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Topics |
- Adult
- Aged
- Aged, 80 and over
- Female
- Humans
- Male
- Middle Aged
- Outpatient Clinics, Hospital
(statistics & numerical data)
- Prostatic Hyperplasia
(therapy)
- United States
- United States Department of Veterans Affairs
(statistics & numerical data)
- Urinary Incontinence
(therapy)
- Urinary Tract Infections
(therapy)
- Urolithiasis
(therapy)
- Urologic Diseases
(therapy)
- Veterans
(statistics & numerical data)
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