New release from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW): Coordination of health care: patient and primary care factors associated with potentially preventable hospitalisations for chronic conditions.
This study investigates the relationship between aspects of a patient’s health and primary care experiences and their likelihood of also having a potentially preventable hospitalisation (PPH) for a chronic condition during the survey period. While patient health measures (self-rated health status, being a frequent user of GP services, significant polypharmacy) were associated with chronic condition PPH, patient perceptions of experiences (such as GP awareness of the patient’s health care history, GP involving the patient in care decisions) generally were not.
Key findings from the study:
- People with 10 or more medications were more likely to have a chronic condition PPH.
- People who were frequent users of GPs were more likely to have a CC-PPH.
- People who did not see a GP when needing to see one were more likely to have a CC-PPH.
- People who rated their health as only Good, Fair or Poor were more likely to have a CC-PPH.
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