The nation spends billions annually on preventable hospitalizations1

Hospitalization is costly, stressful for patients, and carries a risk of adverse health outcomes.1,2 Preventable hospitalizations are hospitalizations for conditions that can be safely managed in an outpatient setting through access to high-quality preventative care, such as diabetes and hypertension.1

This indicator tracks the rate of preventable hospitalizations (per 100,000 population) using a composite measure based on ten ambulatory care-sensitive conditions.

Indicator Progress

In 2022 (baseline year), there were 972 preventable hospitalizations for selected conditions per 100,000 population. The most recent rate available is 972 (2022). We hope to reach a target of 727 or lower by 2034.

More Data about Preventable Hospitalizations

Preventable Hospitalizations

Note: Due to changes in the way this indicator is calculated each year, the baseline value must also be re-calculated in order to be appropriately compared to the current value. Therefore, the baseline value may slightly change with each year.

Baseline

972

Current Rate

972

Target

727

Indicator Highlights

Data Snapshot: Trends & Disparities

Preventable Hospitalizations per 100,000 Population, Over Time

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Preventable Hospitalizations per 100,000 Population, by County

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Indicator: Preventable Hospitalizations per 100,000 population

Indicator Description: This indicator provides the statewide and county overall rates of preventable hospitalizations (for selected conditions). The risk-adjusted rates adjusted for age, sex, and poverty.

The indicator is based on Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality (AHRQ) Prevention Quality Indicator (PQI) #90. PQI #90 is the composite indicator for 10 ambulatory care-sensitive conditions. Hospitalizations due to these conditions are potentially preventable through access to high-quality outpatient care.

The conditions include diabetes short-term complications, diabetes long-term complications, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or asthma in older adults (age 40 and over), hypertension, heart failure, community-acquired pneumonia (previously bacterial pneumonia), urinary tract infection, uncontrolled diabetes, asthma in younger adults (age 18-39), and lower-extremity amputation among patients with diabetes.

Data Limitations: The indicator rate was calculated using AHRQ’s Prevention Quality Indicator Software Version v2022 (2022), and calculations are back-compatible with older data years. Rates that use software version v2022 should not be compared to rates produced using other software versions, as they likely use a different referent or denominator population and possibly use conditions that have since been redefined. Because the AHRQ software is back-compatible with older data years, the baseline and target values for the indicator may change when data is updated.

Indicator Source: Department of Health Care Access and Information – Healthcare Analytics Branch

Data Sharing Agreement: Data is publicly available on the open data portal: https://data.chhs.ca.gov/dataset/rates-of-preventable-hospitalizations-for-selected-medical-conditions-by-county

Indicator Calculation Methodology: The indicator was calculated using the California Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) Patient Discharge Data run through AHRQ’s Prevention Quality Indicator Software Version v2022 (2022). More detail about the calculation methodology can be found on AHRQ’s website:

https://qualityindicators.ahrq.gov/measures/pqi_resources

https://qualityindicators.ahrq.gov/Downloads/Modules/PQI/V2022/PQI_Composite_Measures.pdf

Data Collection Methodology: https://hcai.ca.gov/data-and-reports/submit-data/patient-data/

Program URL Link: https://hcai.ca.gov/data-and-reports/topics/

Reporting Cycle: Annually (December)

1. McDermott, K. W. & Jiang, H. J. (2020, June). Characteristics and Costs of Potentially Preventable Inpatient Stays, 2017. AHRQ Statistical Brief #259. https://hcup-us.ahrq.gov/reports/statbriefs/sb259-Potentially-Preventable-Hospitalizations-2017.jsp

2. Chang, B. P. (2019). Can hospitalization be harmful for your health? A nosocomial based stress model for hospitalization. Gen Hosp Psychiatry, 60, 83-89. https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.genhosppsych.2019.07.014

3. Wilson, K. (2021, June 28). 2021 Edition — Health Care Costs 101: US Spending Growth Outpaces Economy. California Health Care Foundation. https://www.chcf.org/publication/2021-edition-health-care-costs-101/

4. Sanon, M. (2020). Hazards of Hospitalization. In: Chun, A. (eds) Geriatric Practice. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-19625-7_33

5. Sawicki, O. A., Mueller, A., Klaaßen-Mielke, R., Glushan, A., Gerlach, F. M., Beyer, M., Wensing, M. & Karimova, K. (2021). Strong and sustainable primary healthcare is associated with a lower risk of hospitalization in high risk patients. Sci Rep 11, 4349 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-83962-y

6. McCullough, J. M., & Curwick, K. (2020). Local health and social services spending to reduce preventable hospitalizations. Population Health Management, 23(6), 453–458. https://doi.org/10.1089/pop.2019.0195

7. Catalyst California (2018, March 12). Health Care Access: Securing the Counties’ Health Care Safety Net for All Residents. RACE COUNTS. https://www.racecounts.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Race-Counts-Health-Care-Access-Report_03.12.18.pdf

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