Determinants of hospitalisation rates: does primary health care play a role?
OBJECTIVE
To analyse the influence of rates of general practitioner visits on rates of hospitalisations.


METHODS
Ecological cross-sectional study of factors influencing hospitalisation rates. Aggregated data on primary care centre area level.


METHODS
The county of Ostergötland, Sweden, with 3 hospital districts and 41 primary health care centres, and the hospital district of Jönköping in the county of Jönköping, Sweden, with 11 primary health care centres.


METHODS
Hospitalisation rates.


RESULTS
Age and rates of outpatient hospital visits were the most important factors explaining the variation in rates of hospitalisations between the primary health care centre areas. Hospital districts, socioeconomic factors and rates of GP visits also influenced the rates of hospitalisations.


CONCLUSIONS
When evaluating the influence of primary health care on the rates of hospitalisations, both socioeconomic factors and health care structure must be taken into consideration. Doing this, the rates of GP visits correlated negatively with the rates of hospitalisations.
Lindström
Kjell
K
Primary Health Care Centre of Habo, Linköping, Sweden. kjell.lindstrom@ltjkpg.se
Engström
Sven
S
Bengtsson
Calle
C
Borgquist
Lars
L
D000368:Aged; D002391:Catchment Area, Health; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006302:Health Services Research; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009819:Office Visits / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012923:Social Class; D013548:Sweden; D014600:Utilization Review