National Norms for Hospitalizations Due to Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions among Adults in the US

Ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSCs) are acute or chronic health issues that lead to potentially preventable hospitalizations when not treated in the outpatient primary care setting.

To describe national hospitalization rates due to ACSCs among adult inpatients in the US.

A retrospective cross-sectional analysis of the 2018 US National Inpatient Sample (NIS) dataset from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project at the Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality was completed in the year 2022.

Participants were adult inpatients from community hospitals in 48 states of the US and District of Columbia.

ACSC admission rates were calculated using ICD-10 codes and the Purdy ACSC definition. The admission rates were weighted to the US inpatient population and stratified by age, sex, and race.

ACSC hospitalization rates varied considerably across age and average number of hospitalizations varied across sex and race. ACSC hospitalization rates increased with age, male sex, and Native American and Black race. The most common ACSCs were pneumonia, diabetes, and congestive heart failure.

Previous studies have emphasized the importance of preventable hospitalizations, however, the national rates for ACSC hospitalizations across all ages in the US have not been reported. The national rates presented will facilitate comparisons to identify hospitals and health care systems with higher-than-expected rates of ACSC admissions that may suggest a need for improved primary care services.