Search

Copyright of Revista Ciência & Saúde Coletiva is the property of Associacao Brasileira de Pos-Graduacao em Saude Coletiva and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study analyses expenditure trends in Hospitalizations for Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions (ACSCs) in children. It is an ecological time-series study, including hospitalizations of children under five in Bahia, between 2000 and 2012. We calculate the annual ACSC rates, as well as the total and average expenditure on these hospitalizations. We construct linear regression analysis models for the temporal trends. Between 2000 and 2012, 810,831 ACSC hospitalizations for the under-fives were recorded in Bahia. Hospitalization rates dropped 24.7% over this period, falling from 44.6 to 33.6 per 1,000 children. The total expenditure on such admissions is estimated to be 155.8 million Brazilian Reals. When we compare the first with the last year of the series, we note a reduction of 50.4% in total expenditure. The linear regression analysis demonstrates a reduction trend in average ACSC expenditure (β = -1.20, p = 0.014), (β = -3.45, p <0.01) and total expenditure (β = -0,46, p <0.01). Despite the reductions in these indicators, ACSC rates remain high, which has a significant impact on the volume of resources spent on avoidable hospitalizations. To this end, it is important to reduce ACSC expenditure, to both improve population health and reduce hospital costs.