Aim: To describe how variation in care influences distribution of health services to newborn infants in Norway.
Methods: Data from the Norwegian Neonatal Registry covering nearly 100% of all neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admissions in Norway were analyzed. Healthcare utilization was counted per 1000 births stratified for gestational age according to hospital referral areas defined by the hospital providing the majority of services. Data are presented as coefficients of variation and extremal ratios between the highest and lowest rate.
Results: There is a significant geographic variation in hospital admission rates, mechanical ventilation antibiotic use, diagnostic practice, and use of intensive care treatment. Variation in admission rates is low in infants born before 34 weeks of gestational age and increases with increasing gestational age.
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