title: Diagnosing Potentially Preventable Hospitalisations (DaPPHne): protocol for a mixed-methods data-linkage study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Rates of potentially preventable hospitalisations (PPH) are used as a proxy measure of effectiveness of, or access to community-based health services. The validity of PPH as an indicator in Australia has not been confirmed. Available evidence suggests that patient-related, clinician-related and systems-related factors are associated with PPH, with differences between rural and metropolitan settings. Furthermore, the proportion of PPHs which are actually preventable is unknown. The Diagnosing Potentially Preventable Hospitalisations study will determine the proportion of PPHs for chronic conditions that are deemed preventable and identify potentially modifiable factors driving these, in order to develop effective interventions to reduce admissions and improve measures of health system performance.
  
  
  METHODS
  This mixed methods data linkage study of approximately 1000 eligible patients with chronic PPH admissions to one metropolitan and two regional hospitals over 12 months will combine data from multiple sources to assess the: extent of preventability of chronic PPH admissions; validity of the Preventability Assessment Tool (PAT) in identifying preventable admissions; factors contributing to chronic PPH admissions. Data collected from patients (quantitative and qualitative methods), their general practitioners, hospital clinicians and hospital records, will be linked with routinely collected New South Wales (NSW) Admitted Patient Data Collection, the NSW Registry of Births, Death and Marriages death registration and Australian Bureau of Statistics mortality data. The validity of the PAT will be assessed by determining concordance between clinician assessment and that of a 'gold standard' panel. Multivariable logistic regression will identify the main predictor variables of admissions deemed preventable, using study-specific and linked data.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The NSW Population and Health Services Research Ethics Committee granted ethical approval. Dissemination mechanisms include engagement of policy stakeholders through a project Steering Committee, and the production of summary reports for policy and clinical audiences in addition to peer-review papers.
authors.affiliation: University Centre for Rural Health-North Coast, University of Sydney, Lismore, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Megan E
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5766-0235
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Passey
authors.affiliation: University Centre for Rural Health-North Coast, University of Sydney, Lismore, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Jo M
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8257-7772
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Longman
authors.affiliation: University Centre for Rural Health-North Coast, University of Sydney, Lismore, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Jennifer J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Johnston
authors.affiliation: Centre for Big Data Research in Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Louisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jorm
authors.affiliation: North Coast Primary Health Network, Ballina, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ewald
authors.affiliation: University Centre for Rural Health-North Coast, University of Sydney, Lismore, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Geoff G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.affiliation: University Centre for Rural Health-North Coast, University of Sydney, Lismore, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rolfe
authors.affiliation: Mid North Coast Local Health District, South West Rocks, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Bronwyn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chalker
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006302:Health Services Research; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009517:New South Wales; D011320:Primary Health Care; D012107:Research Design
keywords: PRIMARY CARE; ambulatory care sensitive conditions; avoidable hospital admission; potentially preventable hospitalisations