Hospitalization rates for Alzheimer's disease

Procedures of data collection on hospitalizations for Alzheimer's disease are compared among the countries of the European Union. Data were obtained from the national institutes of statistics and ministries of health. Information relates to the type of health institutions collecting data in a systematic way, procedures of codification and publication, collection of associated diagnoses, and characteristics of the patient. Coverage and coding practices differ markedly between countries. Where possible, levels of hospitalization rates for Alzheimer's disease (AD) are assessed. Hospitalization rates for AD increase significantly with age and do not differ much between males and females. Codification of diagnoses according to ICD-10 leads to a much lower level of hospitalization rates than following ICD-9. Data on outpatients and from private hospitals are presently not available and should be collected by the health system.