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Using billing data to describe patterns in asthma-related emergency department visits in children

Mathew J Reeves1, Sarah Lyon-Callo, Michael D Brown

  • 1Department of Epidemiology, B 601 West Fee Hall, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA. reevesm@msu.edu

Pediatrics
|June 17, 2006
PubMed

Insights

A pilot emergency department (ED) surveillance system using billing data successfully tracked childhood asthma visits, revealing seasonal trends and demographic patterns. This system aids in understanding pediatric asthma burdens and improving care.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health Surveillance
  • Pediatric Asthma Epidemiology
  • Healthcare Informatics

Background:

  • Childhood asthma necessitates effective monitoring systems to understand healthcare utilization.
  • Emergency department (ED) visits represent a significant burden of care for pediatric asthma.
  • Billing data offers a potential source for developing real-time public health surveillance.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and evaluate a pilot emergency department (ED)-based asthma surveillance system for childhood asthma visits.
  • To utilize billing data for documenting trends and patterns in pediatric ED asthma visits.
  • To assess the utility of such a system in understanding the burden of childhood asthma.

Main Methods:

  • Aggregate ED billing data from three hospitals in western Michigan were collected for 2001-2002.
  • Data were analyzed to identify trends in monthly ED visits for asthma in children by age, gender, and site.
  • The surveillance system was evaluated using established public health surveillance guidelines.

Main Results:

  • The system demonstrated strong seasonal trends and significant differences in ED use by age and gender.
  • Asthma ED visits showed similar total numbers across years, but seasonal peak timing and duration varied.
  • The system exhibited key successful surveillance characteristics (simplicity, flexibility, timeliness) but lacked population-based representativeness.

Conclusions:

  • A pilot ED-based surveillance system using billing data was successfully implemented for childhood asthma.
  • The system enhances understanding of the burden and characteristics of children with asthma seeking ED care.
  • Development of such surveillance systems is recommended for monitoring pediatric asthma and evaluating quality improvement programs.
Abstract

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