Gastroenterology service in a teaching hospital in rural New Zealand, 1991-2003

Table 1 Patient numbers and demographics

	Yr
	1991	1997	2003
Inpatients
No. of admissions1	173	310	391
Rate per 10 000 population2	9	16	20
Age mean (SD)3	54.1 (19.7)	55.9 (18.9)	53.4 (19.1)
Female n (%)	97 (56)	196 (63)	210 (54)
Outpatients
No. of admissions1	553	469	756
Rate per 10 000 population2	30	25	39
No. of patients with information available	399	404	716
Age mean (SD)3	49.0 (19.3)	47.0 (18.0)	50.1 (18.5)
Female n (%)	246 (62)	256 (63)	421 (59)

¹First hospital admissions and first specialist consultations showed a statistically significant linear increase over the years (P < 0.001 for both);

²Estimates of the Otago population obtained from the Ministry of Social Development website: http://www.socialreport.msd.govt.nz/regional/r-councils/otago.html;

³There was a statistically significant difference in the mean age of inpatients and outpatients (P < 0.001).