Characteristics of avoidable hospitalization in Spain

Hospitalizations that could have been prevented with a timely and effective ambulatory care are known as avoidable hospitalizations (AH). The measure of AH is an indicator of the quality of primary health care centers. The objective of this study was to determine the factors that influence the level...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inMedicina clínica Vol. 122; no. 17; p. 653
Main Authors Alfonso Sánchez, José Luis, Sentís Vilalta, Joan, Blasco Perepérez, Sergio, Martínez Martínez, Isabel
Format Journal Article
LanguageSpanish
Published Spain 08.05.2004
Subjects
Adolescent
Adult
Age Distribution
Aged
Child
Child, Preschool
Female
Health Services Misuse - statistics & numerical data
Hospitalization - statistics & numerical data
Hospitals - statistics & numerical data
Humans
Infant
Infant, Newborn
Length of Stay
Male
Middle Aged
Spain
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Summary:Hospitalizations that could have been prevented with a timely and effective ambulatory care are known as avoidable hospitalizations (AH). The measure of AH is an indicator of the quality of primary health care centers. The objective of this study was to determine the factors that influence the level of AH at the Spanish public hospitals. We identified the characteristics of hospitalised patient as AH. We studied the total hospitalizations in public hospitals of Spain in 2000 related to AH. AH admissions were the 15.8% of total in Spanish hospitals and the 16.6% of hospital stays. Patients' mean age was high, 54 years, males (age-adjusted OR = 1.54) with a large length of stay and presurgery stay, higher comorbidity (0.63 [0.8]), public financing, and admission was basically emergency-caused and in high complexity hospitals. There is a direct relationship between frequency of AH and hospital complexity. The control of AH is very important because its repercussion on the total hospitalary case-mix. We observe an inducing effect of the hospital offer because the hospital capacity increase the number of AH admissions.
ISSN:0025-7753