Course: Trends in Hospitalizations for Ambulatory Care–Sensitive Conditions During the COVID-19 Pandemic
CME Credits: 1.00
Released: 2022-03-17
Key Points
Question How has the rate of potentially preventable hospitalizations (ambulatory care–sensitive conditions) changed during the COVID-19 pandemic?Findings This cross-sectional study found statistically significant decreases in rates of potentially preventable hospitalizations during the pandemic relative to the prepandemic period but no significant change in the intensity of care provided during these admissions. These decreases are similar in magnitude to the overall decrease in non–COVID-19–related hospital admissions during the pandemic.
Meaning This study suggests that researchers should be cautious in interpreting changes in rates of potentially preventable hospitalizations during the pandemic as being solely due to the quality of ambulatory care because these rates are also likely due to other patient-level and hospital-level factors that are associated with the demand for hospital services.
Abstract
Importance The association of the COVID-19 pandemic with the quality of ambulatory care is unknown. Hospitalizations for ambulatory care–sensitive conditions (ACSCs) are a well-studied measure of the quality of ambulatory care; however, they may also be associated with other patient-level and system-level factors.Objective To describe trends in hospital admissions for ACSCs in the prepandemic period (March 2019 to February 2020) compared with the pandemic period (March 2020 to February 2021).
Design, Setting, and Participants This cross-sectional study of adults enrolled in a commercial health maintenance organization in Michigan included 1,240,409 unique adults (13,011,176 person-months) in the prepandemic period and 1,206,361 unique adults (12,759,675 person-months) in the pandemic period.
Exposure COVID-19 pandemic (March 2020 to February 2021).
Main Outcomes and Measures Adjusted relative risk (aRR) of ACSC hospitalizations and intensive care unit stays for ACSC hospitalizations and adjusted incidence rate ratio of the length of stay of ACSC hospitalizations in the prepandemic (March 2019 to February 2020) vs pandemic (March 2020 to February 2021) periods, adjusted for patient age, sex, calendar month of admission, and county of residence.
Results The study population included 1,240,409 unique adults (13,011,176 person-months) in the prepandemic period and 1,206,361 unique adults (12,759,675 person-months) in the pandemic period, in which 51.3% of person-months (n?=-6,547,231) were for female patients, with a relatively even age distribution between the ages of 24 and 64 years. The relative risk of having any ACSC hospitalization in the pandemic period compared with the prepandemic period was 0.72 (95% CI, 0.69-0.76; P?<?.001). This decrease in risk was slightly larger in magnitude than the overall reduction in non-ACSC, non–COVID-19 hospitalization rates (aRR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.81-0.83; P?<?.001). Large reductions were found in the relative risk of respiratory-related ACSC hospitalizations (aRR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.50-0.58; P?<?.001), with non–statistically significant reductions in diabetes-related ACSCs (aRR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.83-1.00; P?=?.05) and a statistically significant reduction in all other ACSC hospitalizations (aRR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.74-0.85; P?<?.001). Among ACSC hospitalizations, no change was found in the percentage that included an intensive care unit stay (aRR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.94-1.04; P?=?.64), and no change was found in the length of stay (adjusted incidence rate ratio, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.98-1.06; P?=?.33).
Conclusions and Relevance In this cross-sectional study of adults enrolled in a large commercial health maintenance organization plan, the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with reductions in both non-ACSC and ACSC hospitalizations, with particularly large reductions seen in respiratory-related ACSCs. These reductions were likely due to many patient-level and health system–level factors associated with hospitalization rates. Further research into the causes and long-term outcomes associated with these reductions in ACSC admissions is needed to understand how the pandemic has affected the delivery of ambulatory and hospital care in the US.
Educational Objective
To identify the key insights or developments described in this article
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