Hospitalizations involving opioid pain relievers and heroin increased 75 percent for women between 2005 and 2014, a jump that significantly outpaced the 55 percent increase among men, according to a recent statistical brief from AHRQ’s Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project. By 2014, the rates of opioid-related hospitalizations for men and women were virtually identical (about 225 per 100,000 people).
Access a new AHRQ infographic that illustrates the states in which opioid-related hospitalization rates were higher among women than men in 2014. The data are from Fast Stats, the agency’s online tool that offers national and state-specific data on hospital stays and emergency department visits, including data by age, gender, community-level income and urban versus rural residency.
Access AHRQ’s press release on the report as well as a blog by Anne Elixhauser, PhD, a senior researcher at AHRQ.
The Great Plains Quality Innovation Network offers outreach, education and technical assistance in improving medication safety and reducing avoidable hospital readmissions. We are partnering with practitioners, pharmacists, system leadership as well as consumers of care. If you are interested in getting involved and learning more, visit our Web site and join our Learning and Action Network today.