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Hospital use by pediatric patients: implications for change
A Chabra1, G F Chávez, D Taylor
1School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, USA. achabra@hw1.cahwnet.gov
American Journal of Preventive Medicine
|February 10, 1998
Summary
Pediatric hospitalizations in California are costly, with asthma, injuries, and pneumonia being common diagnoses. Racial and gender disparities in hospitalization risk highlight the need for improved primary care access and targeted interventions.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric hospitalizations
- Healthcare utilization
- Public health
Background:
- Analysis of population-based hospitalization records for children aged 1-12 years in California.
- Focus on descriptive diagnostic information and disparities in hospital use across different population groups.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide detailed diagnostic information on pediatric hospitalizations.
- To analyze differences in hospital use by race and gender.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 1992 computerized hospital discharge data for children aged 1-5 and 6-12 years in California.
- Examination of major diagnoses, total cost, and length of hospital stay.
- Calculation of relative risks for hospitalization by race and gender.
Main Results:
- Children aged 1-5 incurred $746 million in hospital charges; ages 6-12 incurred $580 million.
- Top diagnoses: asthma, injuries, pneumonia, gastroenteritis, congenital disease (ages 1-5); injury, appendicitis, asthma, mental illness, pneumonia (ages 6-12).
- Significant variations in hospitalization risk observed based on gender and race.
Conclusions:
- Many pediatric hospitalizations are preventable, emphasizing the need for enhanced primary care access and education.
- Racial disparities in hospitalization risk, particularly for asthma and mental illness, require targeted attention.