Chronic Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions Research Articles

Description of care pathways for benzodiazepine and sedative hypnotic discontinuation in older adults: protocol of a multicentre qualitative study

Introduction: Benzodiazepines and sedative hypnotics (BSHs) may represent a threat to patient safety, especially among older adults. The project BE-SAFE (Implementing a patient-centred and evidence-based intervention to reduce BEnzodiazepine and sedative-hypnotic use to improve patient SAFEty and quality of care) is a 5-year research project funded through the Horizon Europe Research Programme (Grant agreement n° 101057123). Its goal is to improve patient safety by addressing knowledge and practice gaps related to the reduction of BSHs used for sleep problems in older adults. Within the project, a patient-centred and evidence-based intervention will be developed to reduce the use of BSHs for sleep problems in older adults. This intervention will be tested in a cluster randomized controlled trial in different hospitals of six European countries (Belgium, Greece, Norway, Poland, Spain and Switzerland). Understanding current care pathways and healthcare systems in relation to BSH discontinuation should help tailor the BE-SAFE intervention to target contexts. This understanding should also shed light on the conditions for patient involvement in shared-decision making and interprofessional and interorganisational collaboration. These elements are expected to be key to the success of the intervention.
 
 Objective: To describe care pathways, including interprofessional and interorganisational collaborations, and healthcare systems in relation to BSH discontinuation in the six countries participating in the BE-SAFE trial, from the perspective of healthcare professionals and patients.
 Methods: A qualitative study will be conducted in the hospitals where the trial will take place and in other healthcare settings that are part of the care pathway, such as primary care. This study will follow four phases: 1) exploring healthcare systems, 2) mapping a typical care pathway for BSH discontinuation, including stakeholder analysis with patients, healthcare professionals and managers, 3) characterising healthcare systems in relation to BSH discontinuation, and 4) validation of results with stakeholders. Participants will be healthcare professionals, especially those involved in BSH discontinuation, managers and patients over 65 years of age either taking BSHs for sleep problems or who have undergone BSH discontinuation in the last three months. Data will be collected through self-administered questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and focus groups. The “6 W” multidimensional model of care trajectories (1) and the “Context and Capabilities for Integrating Care” framework (2) will be used to guide data collection and analyses.
 Expected results: We will obtain an in-depth description of care pathways and healthcare systems in relation to BSH discontinuation in each of the six countries participating in the BE-SAFE trial. These results will help to inform intervention development through the creation of logic models and to fit the BE-SAFE intervention to target contexts. By May 2023, we will have an initial version of the description of care pathways in each country.
 1.Vanasse A, Courteau M, Ethier JF. The ‘6W’ multidimensional model of care trajectories for patients with chronic ambulatory care sensitive conditions and hospital readmissions. Public Health. 2018 Apr 1;157:53–61.
 2.Evans JM, Grudniewicz A, Baker GR, Wodchis WP. Organizational context and capabilities for integrating care: A framework for improvement. Int J Integr Care. 2016 Jun 24;16(3):1–14.
 

Role of Patient Sorting in Avoidable Hospital Stays in Medicare Advantage vs Traditional Medicare

Unlike traditional Medicare (TM), Medicare Advantage (MA) plans limit in-network care to a specific network of Medicare clinicians. MA plans thus play a role in sorting patients to a subset of clinicians. It is unknown whether the performance of physicians who treat MA and TM beneficiaries is different. To examine whether avoidable hospital stay differences between MA and TM can be explained by the primary care clinicians who treat MA and TM beneficiaries. This was a cross-sectional study of a nationally representative sample of MA and TM beneficiaries in 2019 with any of 5 chronic ambulatory care-sensitive conditions (ACSCs). The relative risk (RR) of avoidable hospital stays in MA compared with TM was estimated with inverse probability of treatment-weighted Poisson regression, both without and with clinician fixed effects. The degree to which the estimated MA vs TM difference could be explained by patient sorting was calculated by comparing the 2 RR estimates. Data were analyzed between February 2022 and April 2023. Enrollment in MA. Whether a beneficiary had avoidable hospital stays in 2019 due to any of the ACSCs. Avoidable hospital stays included both hospitalizations and observation stays. The study sample comprised 1 323 481 MA beneficiaries (mean [SD] age, 75.4 [7.0] years; 56.9% women; 69.3% White) and 1 965 863 TM beneficiaries (mean [SD] age, 75.9 [7.4] years; 57.1% women; 82.5% White). When controlling for the primary care clinician, the RR of avoidable hospital stays in MA vs TM changed by 2.6 percentage points (95% CI, 1.72-3.50; P < .001), suggesting that compared with TM beneficiaries, MA beneficiaries saw clinicians with lower rates of avoidable hospital stays. This effect size was statistically significant to explain the 2% lower rate of avoidable hospital stays in MA than in TM. In this cross-sectional study of MA and TM beneficiaries, the lower rate of avoidable hospital stays among MA beneficiaries than TM beneficiaries was attributable to MA beneficiaries visiting clinicians with lower rates of avoidable hospital stays. The patient sorting that occurs in MA plays a critical role in the lower rates of avoidable hospital stays compared with TM.

Racial Disparities in Hospitalization Due to Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions Among U.S. Children with Autism.

This study was to investigate the factors associated with preventable hospitalization due to ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSCs) in children with autism. Using secondary data from the U.S. Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS), multivariable regression analyses were conducted to determine the potential effect of race and income level on the likelihood of inpatient stays for ACSCs among autistic children. Pediatric ACSCs included three acute conditions (dehydration, gastroenteritis, and urinary infection) and three chronic conditions (asthma, constipation, and diabetes short-term complications). In this analysis, there were 21,733 hospitalizations among children with autism; about 10% were hospitalized due to pediatric ACSCs. Overall, the odds of ACSCs hospitalization were greater among Hispanic and Black autistic children versus White autistic children. Both Hispanic and Black autistic children from the lowest income level had the highest odds to be hospitalized for chronic ACSCs. Inequities of access to health care among racial/ethnic minorities were most notable for autistic children with chronic ACSC conditions.

Interpersonal Primary Care Continuity for Chronic Conditions Is Associated with Fewer Hospitalizations and Emergency Department Visits Among Medicaid Enrollees.

Interpersonal primary care continuity or chronic condition continuity (CCC) is associated with improved health outcomes. Ambulatory care-sensitive conditions (ACSC) are best managed in a primary care setting, and chronic ACSC (CACSC) require management over time. However, current measures do not measure continuity for specific conditions or the impact of continuity for chronic conditions on health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to design a novel measure of CCC for CACSC in primary care and determine its association with health care utilization. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of continuously enrolled, nondual eligible adult Medicaid enrollees with a diagnosis of a CACSC using 2009 Medicaid Analytic eXtract files from 26 states. We conducted adjusted and unadjusted logistic regression models of the relationship between patient continuity status and emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations. Models were adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, comorbidity, and rurality. We defined CCC for CACSC as at least 2 outpatient visits with any primary care physician for a CACSC in the year, and (2) more than 50% of outpatient CACSC visits with a single PCP. There were 2,674,587 enrollees with CACSC and 36.3% had CCC for CACSC visits. In fully adjusted models, enrollees with CCC were 28% less likely to have ED visits compared with those without CCC (aOR = 0.71, 95% CI = 0.71 - 0.72) and were 67% less likely to have hospitalization than those without CCC (aOR = 0.33, 95% CI = 0.32-0.33). CCC for CACSCs was associated with fewer ED visits and hospitalizations in a nationally representative sample of Medicaid enrollees.

Veteran knowledge, perceptions, and receipt of care following visits to VA emergency departments for ambulatory care sensitive conditions.

Receipt of follow-up care after emergency department (ED) visits for chronic ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSCs)-asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart failure, diabetes, and/or hypertension-is crucial. We assessed Veterans' follow-up care knowledge, perceptions, and receipt of care after visits to Veterans Health Administration (VA) EDs for chronic ACSCs. Using explanatory sequential mixed methods, we interviewed Veterans with follow-up care needs after ACSC-related ED visits, and manually reviewed ED notes, abstracting interviewees' documented follow-up needs and care received. We interviewed and reviewed ED notes of 35 Veterans, 12-27 (mean 19) days after ED visits. Follow-up care was completely received/scheduled in 20, partially received/scheduled in eight, and not received in seven Veterans. Among those who received care, it was received within specified time frames half the time. However, interviewees often did not recall these time frames or reported them to be longer than specified in the ED notes. Veterans who had not yet received or scheduled follow-up care commonly did not recall follow-up care instructions, believed that they did not need this care since they were not currently having symptoms, or thought that such care would be difficult to obtain due to appointment unavailability and/or difficulties communicating with follow-up care providers. Among the 28 Veterans in whom all or some follow-up care had been received/scheduled, for 25 cases VA staff reached out to the Veteran or the appointment was scheduled prior to or during the ED visit. VA should prioritize implementing processes for EDs to efficiently communicate Veterans' needs to follow-up care providers and systems for reaching out to Veterans and/or arranging for care prior to Veterans leaving the ED. VA should also enhance practices using multimodal approaches for educating Veterans about recommended ED follow-up care and improve mechanisms for Veterans to communicate with follow-up care providers.

Impact of COVID-19 infection rates on admissions for ambulatory care sensitive conditions: nationwide difference-in-difference design in Japan

ObjectivesSARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID-19) has affected tertiary medical institutions and primary care. Admission for ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSCs) is an important indicator of primary care quality. However, no nationwide study,...

Emergency departments in the United States treating high proportions of patients with ambulatory care sensitive conditions: a retrospective cross-sectional analysis

BackgroundOne in nine emergency department (ED) visits by Medicare beneficiaries are for ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSCs). This study aimed to examine the association between ACSC ED visits to hospitals with the highest proportion of ACSC visits (“high ACSC hospitals) and safety-net status.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study of ED visits by Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries ≥ 65 years using 2013–14 claims data, Area Health Resources File data, and County Health Rankings. Logistic regression estimated the association between an ACSC ED visit to high ACSC hospitals, accounting for individual, hospital, and community factors, including whether the visit was to a safety-net hospital. Safety net status was measured by Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) index patient percentage; public hospital status; and proportion of dual-eligible beneficiaries. Hospital-level correlation was calculated between ACSC visits, DSH index, and dual-eligible patients. We stratified by type of ACSC visit: acute or chronic.ResultsAmong 5,192,729 ACSC ED visits, the odds of visiting a high ACSC hospital were higher for patients who were Black (1.37), dual-eligible (1.18), and with the highest comorbidity burden (1.26, p < 0.001 for all). ACSC visits had increased odds of being to high ACSC hospitals if the hospitals were high DSH (1.43), served the highest proportion of dual-eligible beneficiaries (2.23), and were for-profit (relative to non-profit) (1.38), and lower odds were associated with public hospitals (0.64) (p < 0.001 for all). This relationship was similar for visits to high chronic ACSC hospitals (high DSH: 1.59, high dual-eligibility: 2.60, for-profit: 1.41, public: 0.63, all p < 0.001) and to a lesser extent, high acute ACSC hospitals (high DSH: 1.02; high dual-eligibility: 1.48, for-profit: 1.17, public: 0.94, p < 0.001). The proportion of ACSC visits at all hospitals was weakly correlated with DSH proportion (0.2) and the proportion of dual-eligible patients (0.29), and this relationship was also seen for both chronic and acute ACSC visits, though stronger for the chronic ACSC visits.ConclusionVisits to hospitals with a high proportion of acute ACSC ED visits may be less likely to be to hospitals classified as safety net hospitals than those with a high proportion of chronic ACSC visits.

Patients' needs following emergency care for ambulatory care-sensitive conditions.

Poor coordination across care transitions for patients with chronic ambulatory care-sensitive conditions (ACSCs) leads to adverse clinical outcomes. Veterans are at high risk for post-emergency department (ED) adverse outcomes, but the care needs of patients leaving the ED after "treat-and-release" visits are poorly characterized. To inform intervention development and implementation, we assessed for medication changes and follow-up care needs among patients with treat-and-release Veterans Affairs (VA) ED visits for chronic ACSCs. Retrospective, observational study. We identified treat-and-release ED visits at the Greater Los Angeles VA (10/1/2017-6/30/2018) with diagnostic codes (in any position) for the ACSCs of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart failure, diabetes, and/or hypertension. For 249 randomly selected visits, a trained nurse abstractor reviewed the ED notes using a structured abstraction tool. Most of the patients (91%) were male; the median (IQR) age was 67 (58-73) years. In 128 (51%) visits, a medication change was recommended; a new medication was prescribed in 109 (44%), changed in 24 (10%), and stopped in 7 (3%) visits. One or more follow-up care needs were specified in 165 (66%) visits; 55 (22%) specified 2 needs, and 13 (5%) specified 3 or more needs. The 2 most common follow-up care needs were symptom check (41%) and potential medication adjustments post ED (21%). More than half of patients with treat-and-release ED visits for chronic ACSCs have recommended medication changes, and two-thirds have at least 1 follow-up care need. This information offers potential foci for testing interventions to improve care coordination for patients with ACSCs who are released from the ED.

Feasibility of a Brief Intervention to Increase Rapid Primary Care Follow-Up Among African American Patients With Uncontrolled Diabetes.

The management of diabetes, like many other chronic conditions, depends on effective primary care engagement. Patients with diabetes without a usual source of care have a higher risk of uncontrolled disease, hospitalizations, and early death. Our objective was to study the effect of a brief intervention to help patients in medically underserved areas obtain rapid primary care follow-up appointments following hospitalization. We performed a pilot pragmatic randomized controlled trial of adult patients with uncontrolled diabetes who had been admitted to one of three hospitals in the Memphis, TN, area. The enhanced usual care arm received a list of primary care clinics, whereas the intervention group had an appointment made for them preceding their index discharge. Patients in both groups were evaluated for primary care appointment attendance within seven and fourteen days of index discharge. In addition, we examined barriers patients encounter to receiving rapid primary care follow-up using a secret shopper approach to assess wait times when calling primary care offices. Twelve patients were enrolled with six in each trial arm. Baseline demographics, access to medical care, and health literacy were similar across the groups. Primary care follow-up was also similar across the groups; no improvements in follow-up rates were seen in the group receiving assistance with making appointments. Identified barriers to making primary care follow-up appointments included inability to schedule an urgent appointment, long hold times when calling doctor’s offices and lack of transportation. Additionally, hold times when calling primary care offices were found to be excessively long in the medically underserved areas studied. The study demonstrates the feasibility of providing patient assistance with scheduling rapid primary care follow-up appointments at the time of discharge and the potential to improve care transitions and access to primary care among patients living in medically underserved areas. Larger pragmatic trials are needed to further test alternative approaches for insuring rapid primary care follow-up in vulnerable patients with ambulatory care-sensitive chronic conditions.

Identify Social Determinants of Health Related to Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions: Decreasing Hospitalizations and Emergency Department Visits

Introduction: Ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSCs) have been linked to higher emergency room and hospitalization rates. Research suggests social determinants of health (SDOH) may play a role; however, there is a limited understanding of the relationship between ACSCs and SDOH. This study's objective was to examine the relationship between structural and intermediary SDOH and chronic ACSC status among United States adults (U.S.). Methods: Data were drawn from the 2017 Behavioral Risk Surveillance System for 12 states and U.S. territories that completed the SDOH module (N= 111,828). Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression analysis identified SDOH associated with a chronic ACSC status. Results: More than 45% of participants had a chronic ACSC. Individuals with ACSCs had higher odds of reporting their neighborhood as unsafe (AOR=1.25; 95%CI=1.05-1.49) than those who reported their neighborhood as extremely safe. Similarly, participants with ACSCs were significantly more likely to report challenges paying their utilities/rent/mortgage (AOR=1.18; 95%CI=1.03-1.36) than to report not experiencing challenges. Conclusions: To address chronic ACSCs, intersectoral public policies are warranted to diminish educational inequalities and racial disparities. This population would also benefit from community-based interventions that connect them to local resources that reduce stress and improve their financial stability and neighborhood safety level.

Trends of chronic illness in emergency department admissions among elderly adults in a tertiary hospital over ten years

BackgroundThis study aimed to determine to what extent an aging population and shift to chronic illness has contributed to emergency admissions at a tertiary care hospital over ten years.MethodsThis was a retrospective observational study performed using a database of all emergency admissions from the Emergency Department (ED) at a single tertiary hospital in Singapore during a ten-year period (January 1st, 2008 to December 31st, 2017). Emergency admissions were defined as ED visits with inpatient admission as the disposition. This study analyzed the trends of demographics, pre-existing comorbidities, chronic conditions or ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSC) of all patients who underwent emergency admissions in Singapore General Hospital.ResultsA total of 446,484 emergency records were included. For elderly patients, the proportions of them had pre-existing multimorbidity at the time of undergoing emergency admissions were found to be lower at the end the 10-year study period relative to the beginning of the study period. The proportions of emergency admissions whose ED primary diagnoses were categorized as chronic conditions and certain chronic ACSC including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure, diabetes complications, and epilepsy also decreased for elderly patients over the 10-year study period.ConclusionsIn Singapore, despite a rapidly aging population, there have been surprisingly lower proportions of chronic conditions, pre-existing comorbidities, and chronic ACSC among the elderly emergency admissions. This is possibly consistent with an overall improved management of the chronic conditions among the elderly population. Future studies should include similar studies at the national level and comparison with other healthcare settings in different countries.

MEDICATION ADHERENCE AND DECREASED KIDNEY FUNCTION AS PREDICTORS OF HOSPITALIZATION FOR CHRONIC HEART FAILURE IN ELDERLY PATIENTS

Hospitalizations due to worsening of the clinical course of ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSC) are the significant and growing burden on health systems. Chronic heart failure (CHF) is one of the five leaders among chronic ACSC both in the frequency of hospitalizations and in their cost. Therefore, it is important to find predictors of the clinical course worsening which are easy to use in ambulatory settings.&#x0D; The aim of the research: to assess the effect of medication adherence and decreased renal function on the probability of hospitalization for CHF in the elderly during 6 months.&#x0D; Materials and methods. The prospective research included 111 ambulatory elderly patients aged from 60 to 74 years with CHF, stage II, arterial hypertension, stage II and chronic kidney disease, stage II-IIIA. During the first ambulatory visit a general clinical examination and ambulatory card analysis were performed. Creatinine level was checked with calculation of the glomerular filtration rate according to the formula of the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (GFR EPI) to assess renal function. In addition, a 6-minute walk test (6MWT) was performed and a quality of life assessment was conducted according to Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire. Adherence assessment on a Morisky Green Medication Adherence Scale as well as a collection of the information about hospitalization during the previous 6 months was done during the last visit. The variable "interaction" between decreased renal function and poor medication adherence was introduced separately into the logistic analysis. A logistic regression analysis was used to assess the influence of factors on the probability of hospitalization for CHF.&#x0D; Results. During the observation 21 patients were hospitalized for CHF (21/93, 23%). The analysis of the distribution of adherence level and GFR EPI ≤ 59,9 mL/min/1,73 m2 between groups of hospitalized and non-hospitalized patients revealed a predominance of non-adherent patients, as well as those with decreased renal function, in the group of hospitalized ones. Clinical characteristics and laboratory parameters, by which the differences were found between hospitalized and non-hospitalized patients, as well as categorical variables received by ROC-analysis - quality of life, GFR EPIcat, systolic blood pressure, 6MWTcat, and variable "interaction", were included in the univariate logistic analysis. According to univariate logistic analysis, the hospitalization probability increased with GFR EPI ≤ 59,9 mL/min/1,73 m2 (OR-6,73, CI 2,34-19,35) and decreased in the presence of medication adherence (OR-0,08, CI 0,02-0,37). In multivariate analysis (adjustment for lung crackles and functional class according to NYHA) or were 4,95 (CI 1,18-20,78) for GFR EPI ≤ 59,9 mL/min/1,73 m2 and 0,11 (CI 0,02-0,81) for medication adherence. During assessing the "interaction" variable it was found that in non-adherent patients with GFR EPI≤59,9 ml/min/1,73m2 the chance of inpatient treatment for CHF significantly increased by 6.82 times on average, with a maximum increase by 20 times.&#x0D; Conclusions. Medication adherence and decreased renal function in our research were shown to be significant predictors of hospitalization for CHF, which are simple to measure and assess and can be used in an outpatient setting. By increasing adherence level, especially in elderly patients with impaired renal function, it is possible to reduce the chance of inpatient treatment caused by CHF by 9.1 times.

Changes in Primary Care Telehealth Use and Impact on Acute Care Visits for Ambulatory Care‐Sensitive Conditions during COVID‐19

Research ObjectiveThe COVID‐19 pandemic forced a dramatic shift from in‐person care to telehealth, with an overall decrease in outpatient utilization. These changes particularly stressed outpatient care delivery and may have resulted in decreased availability and access to primary care for patients, potentially increasing otherwise avoidable emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations. One commonly used indicator of primary care access and quality is acute care visits for ambulatory care‐sensitive conditions (ACSCs), such as for pneumonia, uncontrolled diabetes, or congestive heart failure exacerbations. Our study examined differences in telehealth adoption across practices and evaluated the association between telehealth adoption and ACSC visits.TABLE 1Differences‐in‐differences model of practice telemedicine conversion rate on acute care visits for acute and chronic ACSCsAcute ACSC aOR (95% CI)Chronic ACSC aOR (95% CI)Telemedicine tertile (mean telemedicine conversion rate)Low (9%)refrefMedium (30%)0.98 (0.91–1.07)0.98 (0.76–1.26)High (66%)1.07 (0.98–1.17)1.14 (0.86–1.50)Study DesignWe conducted a retrospective study of claims data from a large commercial insurer in Michigan. We first profiled telehealth adoption by primary care practices during March–July 2020. We defined a practice's “telehealth conversion rate” as the proportion of visits conducted via telehealth during this period compared to the total number of visits during the same period in 2019. Then, to enable comparison between groups at a time when both outpatient and acute care visits were in flux, we used a differences‐in‐differences (DID) model to determine whether varying levels of primary care telehealth conversion were associated with differences in acute care visits (ED visits and hospitalizations) for ACSCs from June–September 2020. We examined visit rates for acute and chronic ACSCs separately, controlling for practice size, in‐person visit volume, and zip code‐level attributes as well as patient characteristics (age, gender, comorbidities). We performed sensitivity analyses using varying definitions of telemedicine conversion rates and multiple model specifications.Population StudiedSix million Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan beneficiaries across 3780 primary care practices from January 2019 to September 2020.Principal FindingsAverage primary care practice telehealth conversion rate was 25% (median 10%), and 29% of practices had no telehealth claims identified. Practices that did not adopt telehealth tended to be smaller and were more likely to be in rural areas. We found no significant differences in the rate of ED visits and hospitalizations for ACSCs by practice‐level telemedicine conversion tertile after adjusting for practice case‐mix, as shown in Table 1. Sensitivity analyses showed similar results.ConclusionsBeneficiaries within a large commercial payer experienced rapid shifts from in‐person to telehealth for their primary care, though telehealth adoption was not evenly distributed, with smaller and more rural practices being less likely to adopt telemedicine. These changes did not seem to obviously help or harm patients as ED visits and hospitalizations for ACSCs were similar across groups.Implications for Policy or PracticeWidespread substitution of telehealth for in‐person care had little impact on cost of care with respect to avoidable ED visits and hospitalizations in the near‐term. Additional research should continue to monitor this trend as health care utilization stabilizes beyond the pandemic.Primary Funding SourceUniversity of Michigan Institute for Health Policy and Innovation.

Ethnic disparities in preventable hospitalisation in England: an analysis of 916 375 emergency admissions

ObjectivesTo study ethnic inequalities in ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSC) in England.DesignObservational study of inpatient hospital admission database enhanced with ethnicity coding of patient surnames. The primary diagnosis of the...

Trends in rates and inequalities in paediatric admissions for Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions in Victoria, Australia (2003 to 2013).

To examine 10-year trends and inequalities in paediatric admission rates for acute and chronic Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions (ACSCs) in Victoria, Australia. Secondary data analysis of the Victorian Admitted Episodes Dataset of children aged 0-17 years and 11 months admitted with a principal diagnosis of acute ACSCs: gastroenteritis/dehydration, dental conditions and urinary tract infections (UTIs) or chronic ACSCs: asthma and diabetic ketoacidosis, from 2003 to 2013. Main outcome measure was trends in paediatric hospital admission rates for ACSCs (per 1000 population). Over the 10 years, hospital admission rates remained consistently high for asthma and dental conditions. Children from socioeconomically disadvantaged areas were more likely to be admitted for all acute conditions over time. Dental conditions were the only ACSC associated with increased rates of admissions in regional areas. Inequalities in paediatric hospital admissions exist for acute conditions and have not changed from 2003 to 2013; disadvantaged Victorian children were more likely to be admitted to hospital at each time point. More equitable access to medical and dental care is needed. Primary care (medical and dental) should be a critical platform to address socio-economic differences and effectively prevent avoidable hospital admissions in children.

Effect Measure Modification of Multimorbidity On the Association Between Regularity of General Practitioner Contact and Potentially Avoidable Hospitalisations

IntroductionRegular contact with a general practitioner (GP) has been shown to lower the risk of potentially avoidable hospitalisations (PAHs) independently of continuity of provider and frequency of contact. Multimorbidity affects between 55 and 98% people aged 65+ years and continues to place pressure on healthcare systems globally. However, little is known about its impact on the relationship between continuity of primary care and PAHs.&#x0D; Objectives and ApproachA retrospective, longitudinal cohort study using survey data linked to routinely-collected administrative health data from the 45 and Up Study conducted in New South Wales, Australia was used to investigate the effect measure modification by multimorbidity on the relationship between regularity of GP contact and PAHs.&#x0D; Multimorbidity was assessed using the Rx-Risk comorbidity score, which captures the number of condition groups, assigned based on medicine dispensing records, using a 5-year look-back period. PAHs were: (i) any unplanned hospitalisations, (ii) chronic ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSC) hospitalisations or (iii) unplanned ACSC hospitalisations. Multivariable logistic regression and population attributable fractions (PAF) were used to examine effect measure modification by multimorbidity.&#x0D; ResultsHigher GP regularity was significantly associated with a reduction in the probability of each PAH type. This reduction diminished with increasing multimorbidity with the effect measure modification most apparent for chronic ACSC and unplanned chronic ACSC hospitalisations. The PAF of moving to the highest quintile of regularity significantly reduced with increasing multimorbidity. For example, a reduction in the PAF of unplanned ACSC hospitalisations of 31.1% was observed in those with a RX Risk score of &gt;10 (17.8%) compared with those with no multimorbidity (48.9%).&#x0D; Conclusion / ImplicationsWeakening of the relationship between GP visit regularity and PAHs with increasing levels of multimorbidity suggests a need to focus on improving primary care support to prevent PAHs for patients with multimorbidity.

Frequent avoidable admissions amongst Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people with chronic conditions in New South Wales, Australia: a historical cohort study

BackgroundAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have high rates of avoidable hospital admissions for chronic conditions, however little is known about the frequency of avoidable admissions for this population. This study examined trends in avoidable admissions among Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people with chronic conditions in New South Wales (NSW), Australia.MethodsA historical cohort analysis using de-identified linked administrative data of Aboriginal patients and an equal number of randomly sampled non-Aboriginal patients between 2005/06 to 2013/14. Eligible patients were admitted to a NSW public hospital and who had one or more of the following ambulatory care sensitive chronic conditions as a principal diagnosis: diabetic complications, asthma, angina, hypertension, congestive heart failure and/or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The primary outcomes were the number of avoidable admissions for an individual in each financial year, and whether an individual had three or more admissions compared with one to two avoidable admissions in each financial year. Poisson and logistic regression models and a test for differences in yearly trends were used to assess the frequency of avoidable admissions over time, adjusting for sociodemographic variables and restricted to those aged ≤75 years.ResultsOnce eligibility criteria had been applied, there were 27,467 avoidable admissions corresponding to 19,025 patients between 2005/06 to 2013/14 (71.2% Aboriginal; 28.8% non-Aboriginal). Aboriginal patients were 15% more likely than non-Aboriginal patients to have a higher number of avoidable admissions per financial year (IRR = 1.15; 95% CI: 1.11, 1.20). Aboriginal patients were almost twice as likely as non-Aboriginal patients to experience three or more avoidable admissions per financial year (OR = 1.90; 95% CI = 1.60, 2.26). There were no significant differences between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in yearly trends for either the number of avoidable admissions, or whether or not an individual experienced three or more avoidable admissions per financial year (p = 0.859; 0.860 respectively).ConclusionAboriginal people were significantly more likely to experience frequent avoidable admissions over a nine-year period compared to non-Aboriginal people. These high rates reflect the need for further research into which interventions are able to successfully reduce avoidable admissions among Aboriginal people, and the importance of culturally appropriate community health care.

The relationship between rates of hospitalization for ambulatory care sensitive conditions and local access to primary healthcare in Manitoba First Nations communities : Results from the Innovation in Community-based Primary Healthcare Supporting Transformation in the Health of First Nations in Manitoba (iPHIT) study.

The objective of this study was to assess the performance of models of primary healthcare (PHC) delivered in First Nation and adjacent communities in Manitoba, using hospitalization rates for ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSC) as the primary outcome. We used generalized estimating equation logistic regression on administrative claims data for 63 First Nations communities from Manitoba (1986-2016) comprising 140,111 people, housed at the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy. We controlled for age, sex, and socio-economic status to describe the relationship between hospitalization rates for ACSC and models of PHC in First Nation communities. Hospitalization rates for acute, chronic, vaccine-preventable, and mental health-related ACSCs have decreased over time in First Nation communities, yet remain significantly higher in First Nations and remote non-First Nations communities ascompared with other Manitobans. When comparing different models of care, hospitalization rates were historically higher in communities served by health centres/offices, whether or not supplemented by itinerant medical services. These rates have significantly declined over the past two decades. Local access to a broader complement of PHC services is associated with lower rates of avoidable hospitalization in First Nation communities. The lack of these services in many First Nation communities demonstrates the failure of the current Canadian healthcare system to meet the need of First Nation peoples. Improving access to PHC in all 63 First Nation communities can be expected to result in a reduction in ACSC hospitalization rates and reduce healthcare cost.

Individual and neighbourhood socioeconomic status increase risk of avoidable hospitalizations among Canadian adults: A retrospective cohort study of linked population health data.

IntroductionAvoidable hospitalizations refer to acute care use for conditions that should normally be managed in primary care settings. Lower socioeconomic status that is often measured using area-based indicators (e.g. median household income) has been shown to increase risk of avoidable hospitalizations. However, both area- and individual-level socioeconomic status can contribute to hospitalization risk, but previous data limitations have prevented separate analyses. Further, the joint effect of individual and neighbourhood socioeconomic status has not been established in the Canadian population. To address this, this study links individual-level household income and neighbourhood-level material deprivation data within a population-based Canadian cohort.ObjectivesTo determine the individual and joint effect of individual-level household income and neighbourhood-level material deprivation on risk of hospitalization for a set of chronic ambulatory care sensitive conditions using linked health survey, hospital discharge, and census-derived data.MethodsA pooled cohort was created by linking sociodemographic and health information from eight cycles of the Canadian Community Health Survey (2000/2001 - 2010) to hospital discharge records and Canadian Marginalization Indices (2001, 2006) (N = 354,595). The primary outcome variable was risk of index hospitalization with a primary diagnosis of angina, asthma, congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, epilepsy, or hypertension. The primary exposure variable was joint individual-level national household income quintile and neighbourhood-level material deprivation quintile. Relative risk (RR) was estimated by constructing modified Poisson regression models with robust error variance.ResultsIn fully adjusted models with income and deprivation considered separately, individuals in the lowest household income quintile and highest material deprivation quintile were at increased risk of hospitalization (Income RR: 1.82 (95% CI 1.56-2.13) Deprivation RR: 1.67 (1.44-1.95)). When income and deprivation were jointly considered, those with low individual income living in high deprivation neighbourhoods were at greatest risk of hospitalization (RR 1.83 (95% CI 1.63 - 2.05)). ConclusionBoth individual income and neighbourhood deprivation separately and jointly increase risk of avoidable hospitalizations. Additional research is needed to understand their mechanisms of action. However, both levels should be considered when designing effective policies and interventions to reduce avoidable hospitalizations.

Are ambulatory care sensitive conditions a valid indicator for quality of primary health care?

Abstract Background Hospitalisations due to ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSCs) have been used for assessing access to and quality of primary health care (PHC) in many countries. To assess the validity of ACSCs for assessing PHC performance we carried out a series of studies on regional and sociodemographic variations and time trends in ACSC hospitalisations and related mortality. Methods Hospitalisations due to ACSCs in Finland in 1992-2013 came from the national Hospital Discharge Register. The data were linked to population at risk data and individual sociodemographic indicators from Statistics Finland, and subsequently to area indicators of population health and socioeconomics, and health care organisation. Depending on study questions, we analysed ACSCs divided into acute, chronic and vaccine-preventable causes using appropriate statistical methods, such as multilevel Poisson models and trajectory modelling. Results We found ACSC hospitalisations to be highly associated to subsequent mortality with 4-10-fold excess 1-year mortality compared to the general population. ACSC hospitalisations showed substantial regional variations which declined over the study period due to decreasing variations in hospitalisations related to chronic ACSCs. The variations were mainly attributed to the hospital district level. In detailed analyses, about a quarter of the variance in ACSC hospitalisations was explained by individual level socioeconomic and health factors. In addition, population health indicators and factors related to hospital care organisation explained up to one third of the variance. Conclusions At patient level a hospitalisation due to ACSC is a sentinel event and associated to a high risk of poor health outcomes. However, using ACSC for benchmarking PHC providers should be addressed with caution and differences in sociodemographic factors and (co)morbidity of populations at risk, and regional heath and hospital care arrangements should be taken into account. Key messages Variations in hospitalisations due to ambulatory care sensitive conditions may mainly be linked to other factors than access to and quality of primary health care. More research is needed to validate ambulatory care sensitive conditions for use in assessing primary health care.