Adults With Functional Disabilities Have More Outpatient Visits & Prescription Drug Refills

Young adults aged 18 to 30 years with functional disabilities had a higher percentage of outpatient visits (86.2%) than those without these disabilities (74.9%). Those with functional disabilities also had a higher percentage of prescriptions filled (81.2%) than those without these disabilities (64.2%). The findings were from a longitudinal study spanning 2013 to 2021. The onset of activity limitation was associated with a four-fold increase in emergency department visits and hospitalizations.

The researchers defined functional disabilities as long-term limitations resulting from an illness, health condition, or impairment that affect a person’s ability to . . .