Sociodemographic Determinants of Potentially Avoidable Hospitalizations due to Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions Among Hospitalized Patients in the United States
Abstract
Social determinants of health play a crucial role in explaining the variation of potentially avoidable hospitalizations (PAH) due to Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions (ACSCs). Utilizing data from the National Inpatient Sample from 2018 to 2020 in the United States, this study conducted retrospective cohort analyses to explore the relationships between sociodemographic factors, specifically income, race, geography, age, and sex and PAH. Our approach used multilevel logistic regression models to adjust for potential confounders and account for clustering of admissions within hospitals. Of the 17,629,891 hospital admissions examined in this study, 1,868,609 (10.6%) were attributable to ACSCs. Our results indicate that individuals of black or Hispanic ethnicity, lower income groups, and people living in the southern region had higher admissions due to ACSCs. These associations were consistent when evaluating individual ACSCs, being more pronounced for chronic conditions. This study highlights the need for focused policy interventions and healthcare strategies aimed at reducing these disparities.