Potentially preventable hospitalizations among older adults with diabetes.

OBJECTIVES

To examine prevalence of and factors associated with different types of potentially preventable hospitalizations (PPHs) among older adults with diabetes.

STUDY DESIGN

Population-based secondary analysis.

METHODS

We analyzed the California State Inpatient Databases, 2005 to 2006. PPHs for 3 acute and 5 chronic ambulatory care–sensitive conditions relevant for older adults were defined by applying the Prevention Quality Indicator algorithm developed by the Agency for Health Research and Quality. Prevalence and costs of PPHs for acute conditions (acute PPHs) and chronic conditions(chronic PPHs) were examined. Associations of sociodemographic and health-related factors as well as hospitalization history with both types of PPH were estimated.

RESULTS

One-fifth of 555,538 hospitalizations of adults 65 years and older with diabetes were PPHs. Of these, 43.7% were acute PPHs and 56.3%were chronic PPHs. The total hospital cost associated with these PPHs was more than$1.1 billion. Having Medi-Cal as the primary payer and hospitalization through the emergency department were positively associated with both types of PPH. Acute PPH rates were lower, but chronic PPH rates were higher, among blacks, patients with multiple chronic conditions, and those with previous admission(s) in the same year.

CONCLUSIONS

PPHs for common medical conditions are costly and prevalent among older patients with diabetes, suggesting a need for more comprehensive primary care, beyond glycemic control. The groups at risk for acute and chronic PPHs may differ, which suggests that more targeted and tailored approaches are necessary to reduce the rates of each type of PPH.