Objectives: We tested the hypotheses firstly that people dying in older age groups do not use hospital services more than those dying in younger age groups in the previous 3 years before death; secondly, that there may be compression of morbidity demonstrated by a decline in the use of hospital services among people in the last 3 years before death in the older age groups.
Methods: We extracted mortality data from all hospitals of the Hospital Authority and analyzed the data using negative binomial regression with duration of hospital stay before death as the outcome variables; age, gender, year of death (period), and birth cohort were predictor variables.
Results: People dying in older age groups do not use in patient hospital services more than younger age groups in the 3 years before death. However, they do use more AED services. No compression in morbidity was demonstrated.
Conclusions: Data obtained from this retrospective study may be used to project future usage for each type of service as a result of changing age structure of the population.