Impact of UK Primary Care Policy Reforms on Short-Stay Unplanned Hospital Admissions for Children With Primary Care-Sensitive Conditions

TY - JOUR

T1 - Impact of UK Primary Care Policy Reforms on Short-Stay Unplanned Hospital Admissions for Children With Primary Care-Sensitive Conditions

AU - Cecil, Elizabeth

AU - Bottle, Alex

AU - Sharland, Mike

AU - Saxena, Sonia

PY - 2015

Y1 - 2015

N2 - PurposeWe aimed to assess the impact of UK primary care policy reforms implemented in April 2004 on potentially avoidable unplanned short-stay hospital admissions for children with primary care-sensitive conditions.MethodsWe conducted an interrupted time series analysis of hospital admissions for all children aged younger than 15 years in England between April 2000 and March 2012 using data from National Health Service public hospitals in England. The main outcomes were annual short-stay (<2-day) unplanned hospital admission rates for primary care-sensitive infectious and chronic conditions.ResultsThere were 7.8 million unplanned admissions over the study period. More than one-half (4,144,729 of 7,831,633) were short-stay admissions for potentially avoidable infectious and chronic conditions. The primary care policy reforms of April 2004 were associated with an 8% increase in short-stay admission rates for chronic conditions, equivalent to 8,500 additional admissions, above the 3% annual increasing trend. Policy reforms were not associated with an increase in short-stay admission rates for infectious illness, which were increasing by 5% annually before April 2004. The proportion of primary care-referred admissions was falling before the reforms, and there were further sharp reductions in 2004.ConclusionsThe introduction of primary care policy reforms coincided with an increase in short-stay admission rates for children with primary care-sensitive chronic conditions, and with more children being admitted through emergency departments. Short-stay admission rates for primary care-sensitive infectious illness increased more steadily and could be related to lowered thresholds for hospital admission.

AB - PurposeWe aimed to assess the impact of UK primary care policy reforms implemented in April 2004 on potentially avoidable unplanned short-stay hospital admissions for children with primary care-sensitive conditions.MethodsWe conducted an interrupted time series analysis of hospital admissions for all children aged younger than 15 years in England between April 2000 and March 2012 using data from National Health Service public hospitals in England. The main outcomes were annual short-stay (<2-day) unplanned hospital admission rates for primary care-sensitive infectious and chronic conditions.ResultsThere were 7.8 million unplanned admissions over the study period. More than one-half (4,144,729 of 7,831,633) were short-stay admissions for potentially avoidable infectious and chronic conditions. The primary care policy reforms of April 2004 were associated with an 8% increase in short-stay admission rates for chronic conditions, equivalent to 8,500 additional admissions, above the 3% annual increasing trend. Policy reforms were not associated with an increase in short-stay admission rates for infectious illness, which were increasing by 5% annually before April 2004. The proportion of primary care-referred admissions was falling before the reforms, and there were further sharp reductions in 2004.ConclusionsThe introduction of primary care policy reforms coincided with an increase in short-stay admission rates for children with primary care-sensitive chronic conditions, and with more children being admitted through emergency departments. Short-stay admission rates for primary care-sensitive infectious illness increased more steadily and could be related to lowered thresholds for hospital admission.

U2 - 10.1370/afm.1786

DO - 10.1370/afm.1786

M3 - Article

SN - 1544-1709

VL - 13

SP - 214—220

JO - ANNALS OF FAMILY MEDICINE

JF - ANNALS OF FAMILY MEDICINE

IS - 3

ER -