Trends in Hospitalizations for Alcohol Use Disorder in the US From 1998 to 2016: | Substance Use and Addiction | JAMA Network Open | JAMA Network

Trends in Hospitalizations for Alcohol Use Disorder in the US From 1998 to 2016: | Substance Use and Addiction | JAMA Network Open | JAMA Network

In-hospital deaths from alcohol use disorder has decreased in the past two decades

Hospital deaths among people with alcohol use disorder have dropped by more than a quarter since 1998, according to new research that examined in-patient hospital data from 1998 to 2016. Experts found that although there was a small increase in the number of people hospitalized for alcohol use disorder, the mortality rate of these patients per 100,000 insurance claims fell by 28% during that time. One caveat: The study only looked at those with a primary diagnosis of alcohol use disorder, so patients with the condition but with other primary diagnoses could have been missed.