Hospitalizations For Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions Research Articles

Disparities in avoidable hospitalization by income in South Korea: data from the National Health Insurance cohort.

A total of 1 310 492 cases were included, in which the crude rate of avoidable hospitalizations was 1444.5 per 100 000 person years. Compared to the Q4 highest income group set as reference, the Q3 (RR 1.07, 95% CI 1.04-1.09), Q2 (RR 1.16, 95% CI 1.13-1.19) and Q1 (RR 1.20, 95% CI 1.17-1.24) income groups showed higher rates of avoidable hospitalizations. Risks of avoidable hospitalizations for ACSCs was higher in lower than higher income groups, implying that socioeconomic status is related to disparities in avoidable hospitalizations. The findings suggest the importance of monitoring the vulnerable groups identified in managing avoidable hospitalizations.

Assessing Potentially Preventable Hospitalizations at the County Level: A Comparison of Measures Using Medicare Data and State Hospital Discharge Data.

This study examined the representativeness of the County Health Rankings and Roadmaps (CHR) measure of potentially preventable hospitalizations, which is derived from Medicare inpatient claims data, as an indicator of potentially preventable hospitalizations for adults aged ≥18 years. Potentially preventable hospitalizations were evaluated using rates of ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSCs). CHR rates of hospitalization for ACSCs based on Medicare data for 2010, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Prevention Quality Indicator #90 Overall Composite (PQI #90 Composite) rates of ACSCs based on hospital inpatient data for adults aged ≥18 years for 2011, and 2011 total mortality rates for adults aged ≥18 years for 212 counties in 3 US states were evaluated. Pearson correlation analyses were used to assess the linear association between the PQI #90 Composite and CHR rates of hospitalization for ACSCs as well as associations of these measures with total mortality. Steiger's Z-test was conducted to examine whether the PQI #90 Composite and CHR measures of health care quality were similarly correlated with total mortality. The age- and sex-adjusted PQI #90 Composite for adults ≥18 years was moderately correlated with the CHR rate of hospitalization for ACSCs. The PQI #90 Composite and CHR measures of hospitalization for ACSCs were similarly correlated with mortality. These findings suggest that in the absence of easily accessible, high-quality data for adults aged ≥18 years, the CHR measure of potentially preventable hospitalizations provides a modest but acceptable approximation of county-level disparities in potentially preventable hospitalizations for the US adult population.

Association Of A Regional Health Improvement Collaborative With Ambulatory Care-Sensitive Hospitalizations.

Although regional health improvement collaboratives have been adopted nationwide to improve primary care quality, their effects on avoidable hospitalizations and costs remain unclear. We quantified the association of the Better Health Partnership, a primary care-led regional health improvement collaborative operating in Cuyahoga County, Ohio (Cleveland and surrounding suburbs), with hospitalization rates for ambulatory care-sensitive conditions. The partnership uses a positive deviance approach to identify, disseminate publicly, and accelerate adoption of best practices for care of patients with diabetes, heart failure, and hypertension. Using a difference-in-differences approach, we compared rates of hospitalizations for ambulatory care-sensitive conditions in six Ohio counties before (2003-08) and after (2009-14) the establishment of the partnership. Age- and sex-adjusted hospitalization rates for targeted ambulatory care-sensitive conditions in Cuyahoga County declined significantly more than the rates in the comparator counties in 2009-11 (106 fewer hospitalizations per 100,000 adult residents) and 2012-14 (91 fewer hospitalizations). We estimated that 5,746 hospitalizations for ambulatory care-sensitive conditions were averted in 2009-14, leading to cost savings of nearly $40million.

Acute Care Use for Ambulatory Care-Sensitive Conditions in High-Cost Users of Medical Care with Mental Illness and Addictions.

The role of mental illness and addiction in acute care use for chronic medical conditions that are sensitive to ambulatory care management requires focussed attention. This study examines how mental illness or addiction affects risk for repeat hospitalization and/or emergency department use for ambulatory care-sensitive conditions (ACSCs) among high-cost users of medical care. A retrospective, population-based cohort study using data from Ontario, Canada. Among the top 10% of medical care users ranked by cost, we determined rates of any and repeat care use (hospitalizations and emergency department [ED] visits) between April 1, 2011, and March 31, 2012, for 14 consensus established ACSCs and compared them between those with and without diagnosed mental illness or addiction during the 2 years prior. Risk ratios were adjusted (aRR) for age, sex, residence, and income quintile. Among 314,936 high-cost users, 35.9% had a mental illness or addiction. Compared to those without, individuals with mental illness or addiction were more likely to have an ED visit or hospitalization for any ACSC (22.8% vs. 19.6%; aRR, 1.21; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.20-1.23). They were also more likely to have repeat ED visits or hospitalizations for the same ACSC (6.2% vs. 4.4% of those without; aRR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.44-1.53). These associations were stronger in stratifications by mental illness diagnostic subgroup, particularly for those with a major mental illness. The presence of mental illness and addiction among high-cost users of medical services may represent an unmet need for quality ambulatory and primary care.

Medicare ACO Program Savings Not Tied To Preventable Hospitalizations Or Concentrated Among High-Risk Patients.

It has been widely assumed that better management and coordination of care for chronic conditions and high-risk patients would be the leading mechanisms for achieving savings in accountable care organizations (ACOs), specifically by reducing acute care needs through enhanced outpatient and preventive care. We examined the extent to which changes in spending and hospitalizations for ACO patients in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) have been consistent with this expectation. By 2014, participation in the MSSP was associated with significant reductions in total Medicare fee-for-service spending for ACO patients but with proportionately smaller reductions in hospitalizations and some increases in hospitalizations for ambulatory care-sensitive conditions. In addition, spending reductions were not clearly concentrated among high-risk patients: Reductions for those patients accounted for only 38percent of the total reduction among ACOs entering the MSSP in 2012, and reductions among 2013 MSSP entrants were almost entirely concentrated among lower-risk patients. These findings suggest that, on average, care coordination and management efforts focused on ambulatory care-sensitive conditions and high-risk patients have not been the major drivers of early savings in the MSSP.

Association between hospitalisation for ambulatory care-sensitive conditions and primary health care physician specialisation: a cross-sectional ecological study in Curitiba (Brazil)

IntroductionHospitalisation for ambulatory care-sensitive conditions (HACSCs) is frequently used as an indicator of the quality and effectiveness of primary healthcare (PHC) services around the world. The aim of the present...

Hospitalizations for Ambulatory Care-Sensitive Conditions among Children with Chronic and Complex Diseases

To evaluate ambulatory-care sensitive (ACS) hospitalizations for children with noncomplex chronic diseases (NC-CD) and children with medical complexity (CMC), and identify associations with ambulatory care characteristics. Although ACS hospitalizations are potentially preventable in general populations, the specific ambulatory care predictors and influence of medical complexity on them is poorly understood. Retrospective cohort study of NC-CD and CMC hospitalizations at a children's hospital during 2007-2014, excluding labor/delivery and children over 21 years. Pediatric medical complexity algorithm identified NC-CD or CMC. ACS hospitalizations were identified using Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality indicator definitions. Demographic and ambulatory care characteristics were compared between ACS and non-ACS hospitalizations with logistic regression clustered by patient. Measures of ambulatory care during 2 years before admission were explored with 20% random sample of general pediatrics discharges. Among 4035 children with NC-CD, 14.6% of 4926 hospitalizations were ACS hospitalizations. Among 5084 CMC, 5.3% of 14 390 discharges were ACS hospitalizations. Among NC-CD discharges, ACS hospitalizations were more likely with no prior-year outpatient visits (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.1-1.7) and less likely with timely well checks (OR 0.8, 95% CI 0.6-0.9) and phone encounters in the month before admission (OR 0.5, 95% CI 0.2-1.0). Among CMC discharges, the only association observed was with provider continuity (OR 0.3, 95% CI 0.1- 1.0). Provider continuity may be associated with fewer CMC ACS hospitalizations, however, measures of ambulatory care were more consistently associated with ACS hospitalizations for NC-CD. CMC may need more precise ACS hospitalization definitions.

The Value-Based Payment Modifier: Program Outcomes and Implications for Disparities.

When risk adjustment is inadequate and incentives are weak, pay-for-performance programs, such as the Value-Based Payment Modifier (Value Modifier [VM]) implemented by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, may contribute to health care disparities without improving performance on average. To estimate the association between VM exposure and performance on quality and spending measures and to assess the effects of adjusting for additional patient characteristics on performance differences between practices serving higher-risk and those serving lower-risk patients. Exploiting the phase-in of the VM on the basis of practice size, regression discontinuity analysis and 2014 Medicare claims were used to estimate differences in practice performance associated with exposure of practices with 100 or more clinicians to full VM incentives (bonuses and penalties) and exposure of practices with 10 or more clinicians to partial incentives (bonuses only). Analyses were repeated with 2015 claims to estimate performance differences associated with a second year of exposure above the threshold of 100 or more clinicians. Performance differences were assessed between practices serving higher- and those serving lower-risk patients after standard Medicare adjustments versus adjustment for additional patient characteristics. Fee-for-service Medicare. Random 20% sample of beneficiaries. Hospitalization for ambulatory care-sensitive conditions, all-cause 30-day readmissions, Medicare spending, and mortality. No statistically significant discontinuities were found at the threshold of 10 or more or 100 or more clinicians in the relationship between practice size and performance on quality or spending measures in either year. Adjustment for additional patient characteristics narrowed performance differences by 9.2% to 67.9% between practices in the highest and those in the lowest quartile of Medicaid patients and Hierarchical Condition Category scores. Observational design and administrative data. The VM was not associated with differences in performance on program measures. Performance differences between practices serving higher- and those serving lower-risk patients were affected considerably by additional adjustments, suggesting a potential for Medicare's pay-for-performance programs to exacerbate health care disparities. The Laura and John Arnold Foundation and National Institute on Aging.

Differences in the prevalence of hospitalizations and utilization of emergency outpatient services for ambulatory care sensitive conditions between asylum-seeking children and children of the general population: a cross-sectional medical records study (2015)

BackgroundHospitalizations for ambulatory care sensitive (ACS) conditions are established indicators for the availability and quality of ambulatory care. We aimed to assess the differences between asylum-seeking children and children of the general population in a German city with respect to (i) the prevalence of ACS hospitalizations, and (ii) the utilization of emergency outpatient services for ACS conditions.MethodsUsing anonymous account data, all children admitted to the University Hospital Heidelberg in 2015 were included in our study. A unique cost unit distinguished asylum seekers residing in a nearby reception center (exposed) from the children of the general population. We adapted international lists of ACS conditions and calculated the prevalence of ACS hospitalizations and the utilization of emergency outpatient services for ACS conditions, attributable fractions among the exposed (Afe) and the population attributable fraction among total admissions (PAF) for each outcome. Differences in the prevalence of each outcome between exposed and controls were analyzed in logistic regression models adjusted for sex, age group and quarterly admission.ResultsOf the 32,015 admissions in 2015, 19.9% (6287) were from inpatient and 80.1% (25,638) from outpatient care. In inpatient care, 9.8% (622) of all admissions were hospitalizations for ACS conditions. The Afe of ACS hospitalizations was 46.57%, the PAF was 1.12%. Emergency service use for ACS conditions could be identified in 8.3% (3088) of all admissions (Afe: 79.57%, PAF: 5.08%). The odds ratio (OR) of asylum-seeking children being hospitalized for ACS conditions in comparison to the control group was 1.81 [95% confidence interval, CI: 1.02; 3.2]. The OR of the asylumseeking population compared to the general population for the utilization of emergency service use for ACS conditions was 4.93 [95% CI: 4.11; 5.91].ConclusionsAsylum-seeking children had significantly higher odds of ACS hospitalization and of utilization of emergency outpatient services for ACS conditions. Using the concept of ACS conditions allowed measuring the strength of primary care provided to this local asylum-seeking population. This approach could help to compare the strength of primary care provision in different locations, and allow an objective.

Reducing Hospitalisations for Ambulatory Care-sensitive Conditions in Integrated Care Systems

Introduction: The reduction of unnecessary hospital admissions is one of the key success factors for integrated care systems. Not least the development of country-specific lists of diagnoses which have been classified and validated by medical experts to be ambulatory care sensitive [1] - meaning that these conditions usually do not need to be treated in the hospital setting - has boosted the attention for this field of intervention. Policy context and objective: In Germany previous studies estimated an amount of 3.7 million hospital admissions which were classified as avoidable which corresponds about 20% of all cases per year [2]. Twenty-two diagnosis groups were worked out as a core list and for each of them medical actions were proposed to reduce correspondent hospital admissions. Strengthening the continuity of ambulatory treatment and providing better access to appropriate professionals in the outpatient sector were considered the most important systemic changes necessary to reduce ambulatory care sensitive hospitalisations. Integrated care systems seem to be the best setting to foster the activities necessary for change whereby the expected efficiency gains can help to partly regain the necessary investments [3]. The results of a comparative analysis of hospitalisation rates for ambulatory care sensitive conditions between Germany (GER) and the integrated care system Gesundes Kinzigtal (GK) give an impression of possible reductions in cases and the corresponding amount of savings on health system level. Targeted population: The regional population which is included in the integrated care contracts of GK and which potentially benefits from the different integrated care activities comprises nearly 33,000 individuals in the southwest of Germany. Although their age and gender distribution is already comparable to the mean in Germany (2011: O-Age GER: 43.8 vs. GK: 43.9; Amount of females GER: 51.2% vs. GK: 51.6%) age-standardized rates of ambulatory care sensitive hospitalisations were calculated to compare the groups more precisely. The results were afterwards projected on the 80.3 million lives of the German Standard Population 2011. Highlights: In GK lower mean hospitalisation rates for 18 of the 22 diagnosis groups of the ambulatory care-sensitive conditions could be observed between 2012 and 2015. This shows that there is a potential for reductions in unnecessary admissions which could partly already be achieved by strengthening ambulatory care in GK. If the same age-standardized rates like in GK are applied to Germany about 950,000 cases would have been avoided per year. Valuating each diagnosis group with the mean costs of these hospital cases in Kinzigtal, 2.7 billion Euro could thereby have been saved in Germany's health system per year. And comparing this difference of 950,000 with the overall estimated potential of 3.7 million preventable cases [2] it seems, that even more can be reached. The biggest difference between Germany and the GK projection was found in back pain (-161,000 cases), ischemic heart diseases (-151,000 cases) and hypertension (-97,000 cases) whereas only in these three diagnosis groups about one billion Euro could have been saved on health system level. In contrast there are also diagnosis groups for which the GK projection would result in slightly higher numbers on system level, e.g. for preventable mental and behavioral disorders (+31,000 cases), depressive disorders (+18,000 cases) and heart failure (+18,000 cases) which should in turn trigger the development of appropriate reactions in GK. Transferability: The results of the comparative analysis prove that efficiency gains by focusing on improvements in the outpatient sector in integrated care systems are possible. Some of the actions of GK related to this issue will be demonstrated and their potential contribution to the largely lower rates of ambulatory care-sensitive hospitalisations will be discussed. Conclusions: If integrated care activities like in GK were provided for all citizens of Germany and similar results could be achieved, nearly one million of hospital cases might already have been prevented and about 17,350 hospital beds would not have been needed. The urgently needed workforce could transfer into the ambulatory and preventive services. Efficiency gains in integrated care systems need more nurses, community workers as well as other health professionals and care coordination between all sectors must be improved. This is recently still hindered by certain factors like especially fragmented remuneration systems. Without changes towards value-based regional care systems it seems impossible to make use of the full potential of the concept of ambulatory care sensitive conditions and to define clear responsibilities for certain treatments.

Outpatient Visits Before Ambulatory Care–Sensitive Hospitalization of Children Receiving Medicaid

ObjectivesHospitalizations for ambulatory care–sensitive conditions (ACSC) are measured to indicate health care system quality, with the premise that fewer hospitalizations would occur with better preceding outpatient care. Our objectives were to identify outpatient care received in the 7 days preceding acute pediatric hospitalizations and to compare receipt of outpatient care by hospitalization type (ACSC vs non-ACSC). MethodsThis retrospective observational study used a 10-state database of Medicaid claims to identify outpatient visits within 7 days before acute unplanned hospitalization for children aged 0 to 17 years. We used logistic regression to assess the relationship between hospitalization type and occurrence of a preceding outpatient clinic visit, controlling for patient age, race/ethnicity, type of Medicaid, and complex chronic conditions. ResultsOf 254,902 hospitalizations, 28.6% had a preceding outpatient visit. Thirty-five percent of hospitalizations were for ACSC. A greater percentage of ACSC versus non-ACSC hospitalizations had a preceding outpatient visit (31.1% vs 27.3%, P < .001). In multivariable analysis, characteristics associated with a preceding outpatient visit were age <1 versus 13 to 17 years (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.4; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.3–2.5), ≥2 vs 0 complex chronic conditions (aOR 1.9; 95% CI 1.8–2.0), Medicaid managed care versus fee for service (aOR 1.2; 95% CI 1.2–1.3), and ACSC versus non-ACSC hospitalization (aOR 1.2; 95% CI 1.1–1.2). ConclusionsAlthough receipt of outpatient care was modestly higher in children hospitalized with an ACSC, most hospitalized children did not receive preceding outpatient care. Further investigation is needed to assess why such a large proportion of children do not receive outpatient care before acute unplanned hospitalization, especially for ACSC.

Hospitalizations for ambulatory care sensitive conditions and unplanned readmissions among Medicare beneficiaries with Alzheimer's disease

IntroductionMedicare beneficiaries with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRDs) may have more potentially avoidable hospitalizations and readmissions than people without dementia. These hospitalizations may be indicative of access barriers, problems in continuity of care, inefficient resource use, and poor patient outcomes. MethodsWe examined national frequency and costs of ambulatory care sensitive condition hospitalizations and unplanned, all-cause, and condition-specific 30-day readmissions in >2.7 million fee-for-service ADRD patients using 2013 Medicare claims data. ResultsIn 2013, 410,000 Medicare ADRD patients had ambulatory care sensitive condition hospitalizations or unplanned 30-day readmissions costing $4.7 billion. One in 10 ADRD patients were hospitalized for a potentially avoidable condition. Almost one in five hospitalized ADRD patients had an unplanned 30-day readmission. Readmission rates were highest among ADRD patients initially hospitalized for heart failure (22%) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (21%). DiscussionOur findings may suggest potential deficiencies in ambulatory care and postdischarge care related to managing comorbidities among Medicare fee-for-service ADRD patients.

Panorama das internações por condições sensíveis à atenção primária no Espírito Santo, Brasil, 2000 a 2014

Objetivo: Descrever a série temporal das internações por condições sensíveis à atenção primária (ICSAP) no estado do Espírito Santo, no período de 2000 a 2014, segundo sexo, faixa etária, porte municipal, macrorregiões e grupos de causa, e investigar os fatores associados à ocorrência dessas hospitalizações. Métodos: Estudo ecológico de série temporal das ICSAP ocorridas de 2000 a 2014. A análise da série temporal foi realizada pelo método Cochrane-Orcutt, e para a análise de regressão multivariável multinível usou-se o modelo de regressão binomial negativa. Resultados: As ICSAP diminuíram 28,79% no período. As maiores taxas foram observadas entre os idosos e as crianças menores de cinco anos, e reduziram mais entre idosos e adultos. Os principais grupos de causas foram as gastroenterites infecciosas e complicações, a infecção no rim e trato urinário, e a insuficiência cardíaca. Houve redução das taxas de ICSAP na medida em que cresceu a taxa de cobertura da estratégia saúde da família (0,60, IC: 0,56-0,66), a proporção de médicos (0,90, IC: 0,84-0,96), de pretos e pardos (0,88, IC: 0,83-0,93) e de pessoas com ensino médio (0,87, IC: 0,76-0,99), enquanto houve acréscimo dessas hospitalizações a cada aumento do produto interno bruto per capita, do índice de Gini, da taxa de urbanização, dos leitos hospitalares e dos planos de saúde. Conclusão: A expansão e consolidação da estratégia saúde da família são importantes para a redução das ICSAP no estado dentre outros fatores, como recursos de saúde e fatores socioeconômicos.

\u201cEvolution and financial cost of socioeconomic inequalities in ambulatory care sensitive conditions: an ecological study for Portugal, 2000\u20132014\u201d

BackgroundHospitalizations for Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions (ACSC) are specific conditions for which hospitalization is thought to be avoidable through patient education, health promotion initiatives, early diagnosis and by appropriate chronic disease management, and have been shown to be greatly influenced by socioeconomic (SE) characteristics. We examined the SE inequalities in hospitalization rates for ACSC in Portugal, their evolution over time (2000–2014), and their associated financial burden.MethodsWe modeled municipality-level ACSC hospitalization rates per 1000 inhabitants and ACSC hospitalization-related costs per inhabitant, for the 2000–2014 period (n = 4170), as a function of SE indicators (illiteracy and purchasing power, in quintiles), controlling for the proportion of elderly, sex, disease specific mortality rate, population density, PC supply, and time trend. The evolution of inequalities was measured interacting SE indicators with a time trend. Costs attributable to ACSC related hospitalization inequalities were measured by the predicted values for each quintile of the SE indicators.ResultsHospitalization rate for ACSC was significantly higher in the 4th quintile of illiteracy compared with the 1st quintile (beta = 1.97; p < 0.01), and significantly lower in the 5th quintile of purchasing power, compared with the 1st quintile (beta = − 1.19; p < 0.05). ACSC hospitalization-related costs were also significantly higher in the 4th quintile of illiteracy compared with the 1st quintile (beta = 4.04€; p < 0.05), and significantly lower in the 5th quintile of purchasing power, compared with the 1st quintile (beta = − 4,69€; p < 0.01). The SE gradient significantly increased over the 2000–2014 period, and the annual cost of inequalities were estimated at more than 15 million euros for the Portuguese NHS.ConclusionThere was an increasing SE patterning in ACSC related hospitalizations, possibly reflecting increasing SE inequalities in early and preventive high-quality care, imposing a substantial financial burden to the Portuguese NHS.

Do hospitalisations for ambulatory care sensitive conditions reflect low access to primary care? An observational cohort study of primary care usage prior to hospitalisation

ObjectivesTo explore whether hospitalisations for ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSCs) are associated with low access to primary care.DesignObservational cohort study over 2008 to 2012 using the Clinical Practice Research Datalink...

Purpose in Life and Hospitalization for Ambulatory Care-Sensitive Conditions in Old Age

To test the hypothesis that higher level of purpose in life is associated with lower subsequent odds of hospitalization. Longitudinal cohort study. Participants' residences in the Chicago metropolitan area. A total of 805 older persons who completed uniform annual clinical evaluations. Participants annually completed a standard self-report measure of purpose in life, a component of well-being. Hospitalization data were obtained from Part A Medicare claims records. Based on previous research, ICD-9 codes were used to identify ambulatory care-sensitive conditions (ACSCs) for which hospitalization is potentially preventable. The relation of purpose (baseline and follow-up) to hospitalization was assessed in proportional odds mixed models. During a mean of 4.5 years of observation, there was a total of 2,043 hospitalizations (442 with a primary ACSC diagnosis; 1,322 with a secondary ACSC diagnosis; 279 with no ACSCs). In initial analyses, higher purpose at baseline and follow-up were each associated with lower odds of more hospitalizations involving ACSCs but not hospitalizations for non-ACSCs. Results were comparable when those with low cognitive function at baseline were excluded. Adjustment for chronic medical conditions and socioeconomic status reduced but did not eliminate the association of purpose with hospitalizations involving ACSCs. In old age, higher level of purpose in life is associated with lower odds of subsequent hospitalizations for ambulatory care-sensitive conditions.

ACSC Indicator: testing reliability for hypertension

BackgroundWith high-quality community-based primary care, hospitalizations for ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSC) are considered avoidable. The purpose of this study was to test the inter-physician reliability of judgments of avoidable hospitalizations for one ACSC, uncomplicated hypertension, derived from medical chart review.MethodsWe applied the Canadian Institute for Health Information’s case definition to obtain a random sample of patients who had an ACSC hospitalization for uncomplicated hypertension in Calgary, Alberta. Medical chart review was conducted by three experienced internal medicine specialists. Implicit methods were used to judge avoidability of hospitalization using a validated 5-point scale.ResultsThere was poor agreement among three physicians raters when judging the avoidability of 82 ACSC hospitalizations for uncomplicated hypertension (κ = 0.092). The κ also remained low when assessing agreement between raters 1 and 3 (κ = 0.092), but the κ was lower (less than chance agreement) for raters 1 and 2 (κ = -0.119) and raters 2 and 3 (κ = -0.008). When the 5-point scale was dichotomized, there was fair agreement among three raters (κ = 0.217). The proportion of ACSC hospitalizations for uncomplicated hypertension that were rated as avoidable was 32.9%, 6.1% and 26.8% for raters 1, 2, and 3, respectively.ConclusionsThis study found a low proportion of ACSC hospitalization were rated as avoidable, with poor to fair agreement of judgment between physician raters. This suggests that the validity and utility of this health indicator is questionable. It points to a need to abandon the use of ACSC entirely; or alternatively to work on the development of explicit criteria for judging avoidability of hospitalization for ACSC such as hypertension.

How do population, general practice and hospital factors influence ambulatory care sensitive admissions: a cross sectional study

BackgroundReducing unplanned hospital admissions is a key priority within the UK and other healthcare systems, however it remains uncertain how this can be achieved. This paper explores the relationship between unplanned ambulatory care sensitive condition (ACSC) admission rates and population, general practice and hospital characteristics. Additionally, we investigated if these factors had a differential impact across 28 conditions.MethodsWe used the English Hospital Episode Statistics to calculate the number of unplanned ACSC hospital admissions for 28 conditions at 8,029 general practices during 2011/12. We used multilevel negative binomial regression to estimate the influence of population (deprivation), general practice (size, access, continuity, quality, A&E proximity) and hospital (bed availability, % day cases) characteristics on unplanned admission rates after adjusting for age, sex and chronic disease prevalence.ResultsPractices in deprived areas (at the 90th centile) had 16% (95% confidence interval: 14 to 18) higher admission rates than those in affluent areas (10th centile). Practices with poorer care continuity (9%; 8 to 11), located closest to A&E (8%; 6 to 9), situated in areas with high inpatient bed availability (14%; 10 to 18) or in areas with a larger proportion of day case admissions (17%; 12 to 21) had more admissions. There were smaller associations for primary care access, clinical quality, and practice size. The strength of associations varied by ACSC. For example, deprivation was most strongly associated with alcohol related diseases and COPD admission rates, while continuity of primary care was most strongly associated with admission rates for chronic diseases such as hypertension and iron-deficiency anaemia.ConclusionsThe drivers of unplanned ACSC admission rates are complex and include population, practice and hospital factors. The importance of these varies markedly across conditions suggesting that multifaceted interventions are required to avoid hospital admissions and reduce costs. Several of the most important drivers of admissions are largely beyond the control of GPs. However, strategies to improve primary care continuity and avoid unnecessary short-stay admissions could lead to improved efficiency.

Enriched Medical Home Intervention Using Community Health Worker Home Visitation and ED Use.

Community health workers (CHWs) have great potential to extend medical home services and reduce emergent health care use, but evidence in pediatrics is scarce. We evaluated the impact of an existing enriched medical home intervention (EMHI) that directly integrates CHWs into emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations for pediatric ambulatory care-sensitive conditions (ACSCs). The EMHI group in this prospective cohort study received home visits from trained CHWs to support adherence to recommended care; the comparison group received usual care (UC). Sociodemographic characteristics were compiled from the EMHI database, and ED and hospitalization information was extracted for study participants from a statewide database. The Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to compare ED data and the Wald test was used to compare hospitalization use for ACSCs between the intervention and UC groups after adjusting for different characteristics between groups by using propensity score matching method. The study sample included 922 children (225 intervention, 697 UC). After propensity score matching, the analytic sample included 450 children (225 intervention, 225 UC). After propensity score matching, the intervention group was significantly less likely than the UC group to visit the ED for an ACSC (18.2% vs 35.1%; P = .004). We found no differences in ACSC hospitalizations between the 2 groups. Our findings suggest that EMHIs using trained CHWs may be a cost-effective model to reduce preventable ED utilization, especially among vulnerable children.

Association of Income Inequality With Pediatric Hospitalizations for Ambulatory Care–Sensitive Conditions

The level of income inequality (ie, the variation in median household income among households within a geographic area), in addition to family-level income, is associated with worsened health outcomes in children. To determine the influence of income inequality on pediatric hospitalization rates for ambulatory care-sensitive conditions (ACSCs) and whether income inequality affects use of resources per hospitalization for ACSCs. This retrospective, cross-sectional analysis used the 2014 State Inpatient Databases of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project of 14 states to evaluate all hospital discharges for patients aged 0 to 17 years (hereafter referred to as children) from January 1 through December 31, 2014. Using the 2014 American Community Survey (US Census), income inequality (Gini index; range, 0 [perfect equality] to 1.00 [perfect inequality]), median household income, and total population of children aged 0 to 17 years for each zip code in the 14 states were measured. The Gini index for zip codes was divided into quartiles for low, low-middle, high-middle, and high income inequality. Rate, length of stay, and charges for pediatric hospitalizations for ACSCs. A total of 79 275 hospitalizations for ACSCs occurred among the 21 737 661 children living in the 8375 zip codes in the 14 included states. After adjustment for median household income and state of residence, ACSC hospitalization rates per 10 000 children increased significantly as income inequality increased from low (27.2; 95% CI, 26.5-27.9) to low-middle (27.9; 95% CI, 27.4-28.5), high-middle (29.2; 95% CI, 28.6-29.7), and high (31.8; 95% CI, 31.2-32.3) categories (P < .001). A significant, clinically unimportant longer length of stay was found for high inequality (2.5 days; 95% CI, 2.4-2.5 days) compared with low inequality (2.4 days; 95% CI, 2.4-2.5 days; P < .001) zip codes and between charges ($765 difference among groups; P < .001). Children living in areas of high income inequality have higher rates of hospitalizations for ACSCs. Consideration of income inequality, in addition to income level, may provide a better understanding of the complex relationship between socioeconomic status and pediatric health outcomes for ACSCs. Efforts aimed at reducing rates of hospitalizations for ACSCs should consider focusing on areas with high income inequality.