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HEALTH RESOURCE UTILIZATION -
Variations
Changes Over Time  |  Variations
In many cases, preventable admissions rates are comparable for urban and rural counties. However, rural residents are more likely to experience higher preventable hospitalization rates for several conditions including:1
  • Urinary tract infection
  • Asthma
  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
  • Angina
  • Hypertension
  • Diabetes (uncontrolled)

The higher rates in Hawai'i's rural counties are due, in part, to the lack of access and availability of primary care resources and a growing elderly population. Hawai'i, Kaua'i, and Maui Counties have been designated Medically Under-served Areas or Populations by the federal Health Resource and Service Administration (HRSA).

While variations in preventable hospitalization rates exist across Hawai'i's four counties, Kaua'i County has the highest rates for many indicators.  However, an area of notable improvement is the decrease in asthma hospitalizations on Kaua'i in recent years.  Kaua'i County's asthma rates were significantly higher than the U.S. comparison earlier in this decade, but have consistently fallen since 2002.  The decrease in hospitalizations can be attributed largely to successful community based initiatives such as the Hawaii State Asthma Control Program.2

1. Hawaii Health Information Corporation, Inpatient Database.

2. The Hawaii State Asthma Control Program was established in 2002 through a cooperative agreement between the Hawaii State Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  The Program coordinates the efforts of individuals and organizations throughout Hawaii whose goal is to improve the quality of care for people with asthma.

 

 

Related Topics
Summary 		  Related Topics
Compare Health Data
> Preventable Hospitalizations, Adult Asthma, Hawai`i vs. U.S. and by County
> Preventable Hospitalizations, by County
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Source: Hawaii Health Information Corporation, Inpatient Database.; Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project, State Inpatient Database.
Note: Based on county of residence of discharged patient. Rates are risk-adjusted for age and sex. Preventable hospitalizations for condition based on Agency Health Care and Research Preventable Quality Indicators (www.ahrq.gov).
 		Source: Hawaii Health Information Corporation, Inpatient Database.
Note: Based on county of residence of discharged patient. Preventable hospitalizations defined as an aggregate (total hospitalizations) for the following 12 conditions: Diabetes short-term complication admission rate, Diabetes long-term complication admission rate, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease admission rate, Hypertension admission rate, Congestive heart failure admission rate, Dehydration admission rate, Bacterial pneumonia admission rate, Urinary tract infection admission rate, Angina without procedure admission rate, Uncontrolled diabetes admission rate, Adult asthma admission rate, Rate of lower-extremity amputation among patients with diabetes.