TY - JOUR
T1 - The effects of race and insurance on potentially avoidable hospitalizations in Tennessee
AU - Chang, Cyril F.
AU - Mirvis, David M.
AU - Waters, Teresa M.
PY - 2008/10
Y1 - 2008/10
N2 - This study examined effects of race and insurance on the risk of potentially avoidable hospitalizations (PAHs) in Tennessee. Applying the current Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality definitions for ambulatory-care- sensitive conditions to inpatient discharge data, the study found hospitalized Black patients more likely than their White counterparts to have experienced a PAH for chronic conditions. In contrast, Black inpatients' risk was lower than that of White inpatients for acute conditions after controlling for covariates. The results also showed the strong influence of insurance coverage. Finally, an analysis of racial differences in the relative risks for PAHs using data grouped by insurance status showed that hospitalized Blacks within each subset had a greater risk of having a PAH than hospitalized Whites, although the risk varied with insurance type. The variations of PAH risks across racial and insurance categories, together with the extra risks associated with chronic conditions, deserve greater examination.
AB - This study examined effects of race and insurance on the risk of potentially avoidable hospitalizations (PAHs) in Tennessee. Applying the current Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality definitions for ambulatory-care- sensitive conditions to inpatient discharge data, the study found hospitalized Black patients more likely than their White counterparts to have experienced a PAH for chronic conditions. In contrast, Black inpatients' risk was lower than that of White inpatients for acute conditions after controlling for covariates. The results also showed the strong influence of insurance coverage. Finally, an analysis of racial differences in the relative risks for PAHs using data grouped by insurance status showed that hospitalized Blacks within each subset had a greater risk of having a PAH than hospitalized Whites, although the risk varied with insurance type. The variations of PAH risks across racial and insurance categories, together with the extra risks associated with chronic conditions, deserve greater examination.
KW - Ambulatory-care-sensitive conditions
KW - Avoidable hospitalizations
KW - Disparities
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=51649111958&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=51649111958&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/1077558708318283
DO - 10.1177/1077558708318283
M3 - Article
C2 - 18490268
AN - SCOPUS:51649111958
SN - 1077-5587
VL - 65
SP - 596
EP - 616
JO - Medical Care Research and Review
JF - Medical Care Research and Review
IS - 5
ER -