141st APHA Annual Meeting

In This section

282734
Geographic variation in asthma admission rates across hospital referral regions in Texas: An analysis of private insurance population between 2008 and 2011

Wednesday, November 6, 2013 : 9:00 AM - 9:15 AM

Suthira Taychakhoonavudh, MS , Management, Policy and Community Health, University of Texas, School of Public Helath, Houston, TX
Rohan Parikh, MS , Management, Policy and Community Health, University of Texas, School of Public Health, Houston, TX
Luisa Franzini, PhD , Management, Policy and Community Health Division, University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston, TX
Cecilia Ganduglia, MD DrPH , Management Policy and Community Health Department, University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston, TX
Objectives: To explore the geographic variation in asthma admission rates among private insurance population between 2008 and 2011 Methods: All Hospital admissions for asthma during the period of 2008 to 2011 were identified from the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas claims data using criteria specified in the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality's prevention quality indicators and pediatric quality indicators for asthma. BCBS covered lives by Hospital Referral Region (HRR) were extracted to calculate the HRR asthma admission rate. Index of variation (each HRR admission rate compare to overall Texas means) and coefficients of variation (CV; standard deviations from the Texas means) were calculated to examine the variation in asthma admission rate. Results: 6,651 asthma admissions were identified. Texas overall asthma admission rates were 51.38(2008), 53.34(2009), 43.35(2010), and 39.83(2011) admissions per 100,000 beneficiaries. Adult (18 years and older) admission rate were 44.31(2008), 42.26(2009), 36.77(2010), and 32.99(2011) admissions per 100,000 adult beneficiaries while the Pediatric (2-18 years old) admission rate were 75.98(2008), 95.04(2009), 67.53(2010), and 65.36(2011) admissions per 100,000 pediatric beneficiaries. Results indicated that variation in pediatric asthma admission rate (CV=0.31(2008), 0.46(2009), 0.50(2010), 0.30(2011)) is higher compare to adult asthma admission rate (CV=0.22(2008), 0.25(2009), 0.24(2010), 0.24(2011)). Conclusions: Substantial variations in asthma admission rates were found among HRRs in both adult and pediatric Texas population. Variations were found to be higher in pediatric population compare to adult population. Further investigation on factors contribute to this variation will provide insights for better policies and programs intervention on preventable asthma admission.

Learning Areas:
Public health administration or related administration
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Evaluate geographic variation in asthma admission rates across hospital referral regions in Texas

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am PhD student in Health Economics and I have worked and published multiple studies that evaluate health care utilization and costs.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 5060.0: Chronic diseases management