Geographic variation in preventable hospitalization of older women and men: implications for access to primary health care.
This study demonstrates how readily available data and small area analysis can be used to identify potential problems of access to primary care services for older women and men. Gender and socioeconomic differences in rates of preventable hospitalization are examined. Using hospital discharge data, five county and twenty-four intra-county areas in Upstate New York are studied. There is significant variation in preventable hospitalization within counties. Areas having significantly higher rates of these hospitalizations tend to have higher rates for both women and men. Problems of access are associated with lower income areas for women and men.
Laditka
S B
SB
School of Business and Public Management, State University of New York Institute of Technology at Utica/Rome 13504, USA.
Laditka
J N
JN
D000368:Aged / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000592:standards*; D006300:Health Services Misuse / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006302:Health Services Research; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009518:New York; D011203:Poverty / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017062:Small-Area Analysis; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors