Elderly
Here you will find analyses showing geographical variation in the use of healthcare services that are important for the elderly in Norway. The analyses mainly include updated figures from the Elderly Healthcare Atlas.
Here you will find analyses showing geographical variation in the use of healthcare services that are important for the elderly in Norway. The analyses mainly include updated figures from the Elderly Healthcare Atlas.
Number of patients with consultations for heart failure per 1,000 inhabitants, 75 years and older
The number of patients increased from 4,700 in 2015 to 10,200 in 2024, representing more than a doubling over the period. During the same period, the number of people in Norway aged 75 and over increased by approximately 35%.
There is significant geographical variation in patient rates in 2024. The lowest rate is in the Innlandet catchment area, with 12.5 patients per 1,000 inhabitants, and the highest in the Sørlandet catchment area, with 30.4.
In 2022,Finnmarkssykehuset began establishing heart failure outpatient clinics. The rate for Finnmark remained between 10 and 12.4 during the period from 2015 to 2022, well below the national average. In 2023, the rate rose to 19, and in 2024 to 24—figures around the national average. While the overall development between these two points resembles that of other catchment areas, the jump in Finnmark occurred in 2023, rather than gradually over time as seen elsewhere.
Almost all catchment areas have experienced a greater increase in the number of patients than in the number of residents during the period. The exception is the catchment area for Diakonhjemmet, where the number of patients has increased by 16%, while the number of residents has grown by 50%.
The number of consultations per patient was 2.3 in 2024. This figure varied between catchment areas, from 1.7 in Førde and 1.8 in Bergen to 2.9 in Østfold and 3.5 in Lovisenberg.
There was no marked decline associated with the pandemic. For some catchment areas, rates increased; for others, they decreased.
The analysis is based on activity data from the Norwegian Patient Registry (NPR) for somatic specialist health services. The data include activity from public hospitals, private hospitals providing publicly funded services, and contracted specialists with public reimbursement agreements. Comparisons with other sources suggest that reporting to the NPR from contracted specialists may be incomplete. In this analysis, consultations from contracted specialists accounted for just under 5% of the total number of consultations in 2024.
The sample includes outpatient consultations for patients aged 75 and over with a primary diagnosis of heart failure, defined by ICD-10 codes I11.0, I13.0, I13.2, I50.0, I50.1, and I50.9.
The total number of patients receiving heart failure consultations in Norway was 20,000 in 2024. Of these, 43.5% were aged 50–74, and 5.4% were aged 0–49.
To allow for comparisons between catchment areas and over time, the rates have been adjusted for age and sex. The adjustment was carried out using the direct method, with the national population in 2023 as the reference population.
SKDE is solely responsible for the interpretation and presentation of the data provided by the NPR. FHI/NPR is not responsible for any analyses or interpretations based on the data.
The number of primary hip prosthesis insertions per 1,000 inhabitants, 50 years and older
In 2024, a total of 9,857 hip replacement procedures were carried out on patients aged 50 and over. This represents an increase of 7.5% from 2022. The explanation for this rise is likely partly due to the population growth within this age group. The number of residents in Norway aged 50 and over increased by 3.8% during the same period.
The number of procedures per year saw a significant decline during the pandemic. Following the pandemic, the number has risen to a level higher than before.
The number of operations per 1,000 inhabitants was 4.7 in 2024, with the rate remaining roughly the same as in the two previous years.
Women undergo surgery to a greater extent than men, with 65% of the operations in 2024 being performed on women. The average age of patients aged 50 and over who underwent surgery was roughly the same for both sexes in 2024, at around 70 years.
The analysis is based on activity data from the Norwegian Patient Register (NPR) for somatic specialist healthcare services. The data includes activities in public hospitals and private hospitals providing publicly funded services.
The selection includes contacts recorded with one or more of the procedure codes NFB20, NFB30, NFB40, or NFB99. Contacts containing diagnosis codes for hip fractures (S72.0, S72.1, and/or S72.2) are excluded.
The place of treatment is divided into three categories:
Insertion of hip prostheses is mainly performed on adult patients. Therefore, the population includes only patients aged 50 and older. Hip prosthesis procedures in individuals aged 0–49 accounted for just over 500 operations, or 5%, in 2024.
In order to compare the catchment areas and between years, the rates have been adjusted for gender and age. The adjustment was done using the direct method with the countrys population in 2023 as the reference population.
SKDE is solely responsible for the interpretation and presentation of the data provided by NPR. FHI/NPR is not responsible for analyses or interpretations based on the data.
Number of consultations for heart failure per 1,000 inhabitants, 75 years and older
The number of consultations for heart failure has increased from 9,800 in 2015 to just over 23,000 in 2024, a rise of 136%. During the same period, the number of people in Norway aged 75 and older increased by approximately 30%.
In about 30% of consultations in 2024, the patient was a woman.
There is significant geographical variation in consultation rates. In the catchment areas with the highest rates, nearly three times as many consultations per 1,000 inhabitants are performed compared to those with the lowest rates. In 2024, the rate ranged from 21.9 in Førde to 88.1 in Østfold.
The rate for Finnmark remained between 12 and 17 from 2015 to 2022, lower than all other healthcare regions. In 2023, the rate increased to 67, followed by a slight decrease to 65 in 2024, placing it among the higher rates. A possible explanation for this is: "Finnmarkssykehuset startet etableringen av hjertesviktpoliklinikker i 2022, og har i dag slike klinikker i Kirkenes, Alta og Hammerfest." This quote is taken from finnmarkssykehuset.no/nyheter.
The number of consultations per patient was 2.3 in 2024. This figure varied between catchment areas, ranging from 1.7 in Førde and 1.8 in Bergen to 2.9 in Østfold and 3.5 in Lovisenberg.
There was no significant decline related to the pandemic; in some catchment areas, the number of consultations increased, while in others, it decreased.
The analysis is based on activity data from the Norwegian Patient Registry (NPR) for somatic specialist healthcare services. The data includes activity from public hospitals, private hospitals providing publicly funded services, and contracted specialists with public funding agreements. Comparisons with other sources suggest that reporting to NPR from contracted specialists is incomplete. For this analysis, consultations from contracted specialists account for just under 5% of the total number of consultations.
The sample includes outpatient consultations for patients aged 75 and older with a primary diagnosis of heart failure, defined by the ICD-10 codes I11.0, I13.0, I13.2, I50.0, I50.1, and I50.9.
Where the patient was treated is divided into three categories:
The total number of heart failure consultations in Norway was 50,200 in 2024. Of these, 54% were for patients younger than 75 years.
To allow comparisons between catchment areas and across years, the rates are adjusted for gender and age. The adjustment was performed using the direct method, with the country’s 2023 population as the reference population.
SKDE is solely responsible for the interpretation and presentation of the data provided by NPR. FHI/NPR is not responsible for analyses or interpretations based on these data.
Number of insertions of primary knee prostheses per 1,000 inhabitants, 50 years and older
For patients aged 50 and older, 7,503 knee prostheses were implanted in 2022, increasing to 8,562 in 2024. This corresponds to a 14% increase. There was a slight decline in the number of surgeries during the pandemic year 2020. After the pandemic, the level has been higher than before.
The figures include both total and partial prostheses. The proportion of partial prostheses has steadily increased over time, rising from 12% in 2015 to 18% in 2024.
There is geographical variation in surgery rates. In the catchment areas with the highest rates, more than twice as many operations per 1,000 inhabitants are performed compared to those with the lowest rates. In 2024, the rate ranged from 2.4 in the catchment area of Lovisenberg to 5.3 in Førde.
The ratio of total to partial prostheses varies significantly between different catchment areas. In 2024, the proportion of patients receiving a partial prosthesis ranged from just under 6% in Helgeland to nearly 34% at UNN.
Women undergo surgery to a greater extent than men, with 57% of operations performed on women in 2024. The average age among operated patients aged 50 and older was approximately the same for both sexes in 2024, around 70 years.
The analysis is based on activity data from the Norwegian Patient Register (NPR) for somatic specialist healthcare services. The data includes activities in public hospitals and private hospitals providing publicly funded services.
The selection includes patients registered with one or more of the following six procedure codes:
Where the patient was treated is divided into three categories:
Knee prosthesis implantation is primarily performed on adult patients. Therefore, the population includes only patients aged 50 and older. In 2024, a total of 181 surgeries were performed on patients under 50 years old, of whom 162 were between 40 and 49 years old.
In order to compare the catchment areas and between years, the rates have been adjusted for gender and age. The adjustment was done using the direct method with the countrys population in 2023 as the reference population.
SKDE is solely responsible for the interpretation and presentation of the data provided by NPR. FHI/NPR is not responsible for analyses or interpretations based on the data.
Number of contacts per 1,000 inhabitants, 50 years and older
Nationally, the number of contacts per year increased from 61,000 in 2015 to approximately 138,000 in 2023. The number of contacts was more than doubled from 2015 to 2023 while the number of patients in treatment was doubled in the same period. This means that the number of contacts per patient increased from 5.5 in 2015 to 6.3 in 2023. This is in accordance with the findings of Husum et al. 2023, who examined the use of injection treatment from 2011 to 2021.
Injection treatment is relevant for patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy, and vein occlusion. Nationally, the proportion of contacts with the diagnosis AMD decreased from about 78 % in 2015 to 73 % in 2023. However, in some referral areas, the proportion of contacts with the diagnosis AMD has increased during the period. In the catchment areas of Bergen and Stavanger, the proportion of contacts with a diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy or vein occlusion was very low in 2023.
The two most used drugs are bevacizumab and aflibercept. Bevacizumab has significantly lower costs and is the first choice in most places (Husum et al. 2023). Nationally, the proportion of contacts with the drug aflibercept increased from 46 % in 2015 to 56 % in 2020, and then decreased to 50 % in 2023. The proportion of contacts with aflibercept was highest in the Sørlandet referral area (67.5 % of contacts) and lowest in the Stavanger referral area (38 % of contacts) in 2023.
The analysis is based on activity data from the Norwegian Patient Register (NPR) for somatic specialist health services. The data includes activity in public hospitals and private hospitals that provide publicly funded services. Data from specialists under public funding contracts are not included, as this treatment is only provided in hospitals.
The sample consists of contacts for patients aged 50 years or older registered with a primary or secondary diagnosis of age-related macular degeneration, AMD (H35.3), venous occlusion (H34.8 or H34.9), or diabetic retinopathy (H36.0, E10.3, or E11.3) in combination with procedure code CKD05.
The drug aflibercept is identified using a special code (1LA05 or S01LA05).
When a contact is registered with two or more of the relevant diagnosis codes (e.g., AMD as the primary condition and venous occlusion as the secondary condition), the primary diagnosis is chosen.
The place of treatment is divided into three categories:
In order to compare the catchment areas and between years, the rates have been adjusted for gender and age. The adjustment was done using the direct method with the population in 2023 as the reference population.
SKDE is solely responsible for the interpretation and presentation of the data provided by NPR. FHI/NPR is not responsible for analyses or interpretations based on the data.
Number of patients per 1,000 inhabitants, 50 years and older
The number of patients in treatment increased by approximately 1,300 per year from 2015 to 2023, from 11,043 patients in 2015 to 21,911 patients in 2023. The reason for the patient growth is that this is a treatment for chronic conditions like age-related macular degeneration, and that the number of new patients each year exceeds the number of patients who discontinue their treatment. If the number of patients in treatment continues to increase in the coming years, changes in the organization of services may be needed to ensure access to good and equitable treatment.
Most of the patients were between 70 and 90 years old. The rate for women was 11,7 pastients pr 1 000 women and the rate for men was 9,5 patiens pr 1 000 men in 2023. There is significant geographical variation in the patient rate. This is in agreement with Husum et al. 2023, who suggest that the observed variation may be related to overtreatment in some areas and undertreatment in others. The authors point to a need for clearer management, national guidelines, and a national quality register in the field.
The analysis is based on activity data from the Norwegian Patient Register (NPR) for somatic specialist health services. The data includes activity in public hospitals and private hospitals that provide publicly funded services. Data from specialists under public funding contracts are not included, as this treatment is only provided in hospitals.
The sample consists of patients aged 50 years or older registered with a primary or secondary diagnosis of age-related macular degeneration, AMD (H35.3), venous occlusion (H34.8 or H34.9), or diabetic retinopathy (H36.0, E10.3, or E11.3) in combination with procedure code CKD05.
If the patient has moved between two catchment areas within a year, the residence is defined as the residence/catchment area where the patient had the most contacts during the year.
In order to compare the catchment areas and between years, the rates have been adjusted for gender and age. The adjustment was done using the direct method with the population in 2023 as the reference population.
SKDE is solely responsible for the interpretation and presentation of the data provided by NPR. FHI/NPR is not responsible for analyses or interpretations based on the data.