Measuring health system performance from a community service perspective: the case of pediatric preventive services in Mason City.

The effectiveness of the local medical system may be evaluated using hospital discharge rates. The method is illustrated using the case of preventable pediatric admissions. Results of the analysis support the validity of admission rates for bronchitis and asthma, pneumonia, gastroenteritis, and otitis media as indicators of the primary care delivery system. The results also suggest that the study community, Mason City, Iowa, is performing well on these indicators.