The most common reasons people are admitted to private hospitals
Australians are sick to their stomachs.
According to recent Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data, the digestive system is the second most common reason for patients being admitted into private hospitals.
The ABS study, which looked at private hospital admissions in the 2014-15 financial year, showed that 12.5% of all private hospital admissions were for issues related to the digestive system. This was second only to factors influencing health status and contact with health services (listed in the graphic as "Other"), which includes care involving dialysis and chemotherapy. So while gut problems came second on the list, it was the highest single reason for admissions into private hospitals.
Other common reasons that people were admitted into private hospitals included neoplasms and musculoskeletal system and connective tissue issues.
|Congenital malformations, deformations, and chromosomal abnormalities||0.27%|
|Certain conditions originating in the perinatal period||0.22%|
Musculoskeletal system and connective tissue issues came in at forth on the list (third out of specific conditions), and it's somewhat surprising they didn't claim top spot. According to Workers' Compensation statistics from 2013-14, musculoskeletal disorders accounted for 95,605 injury claims, which was 90% of all claims recorded that year.