A prospective analysis of the relation between self-rated health and health care use among elderly Canadians

Research indicates that self-rated health is related to a variety of health -related outcomes, such as mortality and functional disability, even when c ontrolling for more "objective" health measures. The present study extends previous research by prospectively examining the relation between self-rate d health and health care use among a representative sample of elderly Canad ians (N = 1,181) interviewed in 1991/92. Survey data were linked to adminis trative records of health care use. Self-rated health was positively relate d to the number of physician visits during the 12 months following the surv ey, as well as to the number of tests incurred (e.g., laboratory tests, X-r ays), even when controlling for demographic variables, functional disabilit y, morbidity, and prior health care use. Older adults who rated their healt h as "bad/poor" or "fair" were also more likely to be hospitalized than tho se who rated their health as "excellent". These results highlight the impor tance of considering global measures of health when examining health care u se.