Abstract

Admissions for ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSCs) represent a useful indicator of assess to and the effectiveness of primary health care. This article examined rates of admissions for ACSCs and the main causes of admissions in intra-urban areas of the municipality of Goiânia, capital of the State of Goiás. An ecological study was conducted to determine rates of admissions in Goiânia’s seven health districts between 2008 and 2013 using data from Hospital Admission Authorization forms obtained from the municipality’s Hospital Information System. Admissions were georeferenced throughout the seven health districts. Age-adjusted rates of admissions for ACSCs were calculated and the most common causes of admissions were identified for each age group. A 95% confidence interval was calculated as a measure of precision of the rates. The average overall rate of admissions for ACSCs was 155.5 per 10,000 population. Rates were highest in the Southern District and lowest in the Southwest District. Rates were highest in the youngest and oldest age groups. The Northwest District showed the highest rates in nine groups of causes, notably chronic non-communicable diseases among adults. Our findings showed that there are major differences in rates across health districts, pointing to shortfalls in primary health coverage, quality problems and an inadequate care model in districts with high coverage.

Primary Health Care; Health evaluation; Hospitalization

Introduction

Hospital activity indicators have been proposed as an indirect measure of the quality of primary health care¹1. Caminal Homar J, Casanova Matutano C. La evaluación de la atención primaria y las hospitalizaciones por ambulatory care sensitive conditions. Marco conceptual. Aten Primaria 2003; 31(1):61-65.. In 1993, Billings et al.²2. Billings J, Zeitel L, Lukomnik J, Carey TS, Blank E, Newman L. Impact of socioeconomic status on hospital use in New York City. Health Aff [Internet]. 1993 Feb 1 [cited 2013 Jun 7]; 12(1):162-173. Available from: http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.12.1.162
http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/doi... undertook a pioneering study of the use of “ambulatory care sensitive conditions” (ACSCs) as an indicator of access to and the effectiveness of primary health care¹1. Caminal Homar J, Casanova Matutano C. La evaluación de la atención primaria y las hospitalizaciones por ambulatory care sensitive conditions. Marco conceptual. Aten Primaria 2003; 31(1):61-65.^,33. Nedel FB, Facchini LA, Martín M, Navarro A. Características da atenção básica associadas ao risco de internar por condições sensíveis à atenção primária : revisão sistemática da literatura. Epidemiol e Serviços Saude 2010; 19(1):61-75.. In Brazil, this indicator is called admissions for primary care sensitive conditions (Internações por Condições Sensíveis à Atenção Primária – ICSAP)⁴4. Alfradique ME, Bonolo PF, Dourado I, Lima-Costa MF, Macinko J, Mendonça CS, Oliveira VB, Sampaio LF, Simoni CD, Turci MA. Internações por condições sensíveis à atenção primária : a construção da lista brasileira como ferramenta para medir o desempenho do sistema de saúde (Projeto ICSAP – Brasil). Cad Saude Publica 2009; 25(6):1337-1349..

This indicator is a sign of the capacity of primary health care systems to intervene in a timely manner to prevent health problems, diagnose and treat acute episodes of diseases, control and provide follow up for chronic diseases, manage diseases, reduce hospital readmissions and length of hospital stay, and thus respond to 85% of the population’s health problems¹1. Caminal Homar J, Casanova Matutano C. La evaluación de la atención primaria y las hospitalizaciones por ambulatory care sensitive conditions. Marco conceptual. Aten Primaria 2003; 31(1):61-65.^,44. Alfradique ME, Bonolo PF, Dourado I, Lima-Costa MF, Macinko J, Mendonça CS, Oliveira VB, Sampaio LF, Simoni CD, Turci MA. Internações por condições sensíveis à atenção primária : a construção da lista brasileira como ferramenta para medir o desempenho do sistema de saúde (Projeto ICSAP – Brasil). Cad Saude Publica 2009; 25(6):1337-1349.

5. Dourado I, Oliveira VB, Aquino R, Bonolo P, Lima-costa MF, Medina MG, Mota E, Turci MA, Macinko J. Trends in Primary Health Care-sensitive Conditions in Brazil The Role of the Family Health Program (Project ICSAP - Brazil). Med Care 2011; 49(6):577-584.^-66. Burgdorf F, Sundmacher L. Potentially avoidable hospital admissions in Germany: an analysis of factors influencing rates of ambulatory care sensitive hospitalizations. Dtsch Arztebl Int 2014; 111(13):215-223..

Studies have reported varying rates of admissions for ACSCs across different countries. In Italy, Agabiti et al.⁷7. Agabiti N, Pirani M, Schifano P, Cesaroni G, Davoli M, Bisanti L, Caranci N, Costa G, Forastiere F, Marinacci C, Russo A, Spadea T, Perucci CA; Italian Study Group on Inequalities in Health Care. Income level and chronic ambulatory care sensitive conditions in adults: a multicity population-based study in Italy. BMC Public Health 2009; 9:457. observed rates of 26.1 per 10,000 population, while in Switzerland, Eggli et al.⁸8. Eggli Y, Desquins B, Seker E, Halfon P. Comparing potentially avoidable hospitalization rates related to ambulatory care sensisitve conditions in Switzerland: the need to refine the definition of health conditions and to adjust for population health status. BMC Health Serv Res 2014; 14(25):1-10. found rates of 10 per 1,000 population among patients with private health insurance. The most common causes of ACSC admissions described in the national and international literature are gastroenteritis, kidney and urinary tract infections, heart failure, angina, asthma, and diabetes mellitus⁹9. Park J, Lee K-H. The association between managed care enrollments and potentially preventable hospitalization among adult Medicaid recipients in Florida. BMC Health Serv Res 2014; 14(1):247.

10. Bindman AB, Chattopadhyay A, Osmond DH, Huen W, Bacchetti P. The impact of Medicaid managed care on hospitalizations for ambulatory care sensitive conditions. Health Serv Res 2005; 40(1):19-38.

11. Homar JC, Espinoza MM, Ruiz ES, Larrosa MJC, Poblet MB. Hospitalizaciones prevenibles mediante una atención primaria oportuna y efectiva. Aten Primaria 2003; 31(1):6-17.

12. Bermúdez-Tamayo C, Márquez-Calderón S, Águila MMR del, López EP-M, Espinosa JO. Características organizativas de la atención primaria y hospitalización por los principales ambulatory care. Aten Primaria 2004; 33(6):305-311.

13. Márquez-Calderón S, Águila MMR, Perea-Milla E, Ortiz J, Bermúdez-Tamayo C. Factores asociados a la hospitalización por procesos sensibles a cuidados ambulatorios en los municipios. Gac Sanit 2003; 17(5):360-367.

14. Rizza P, Bianco A, Pavia M, Angelillo IF. Preventable hospitalization and access to primary health care in an area of Southern Italy. BMC Health Serv Res [Internet]. 2007 Jan [cited 2014 May 24];7:134. Available from: http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=2045098&tool=pmcentrez&rendertype=abstract
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/article... ^-1515. Roos LL, Walld R, Uhanova J, Bond R. Physician Visits , Hospitalizations , and Socioeconomic Status : Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions in a Canadian Setting. Health Serv Res [Internet]. 2005 Aug [cited 2014 Dec 19];40(4):1167-1185. Available from: http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1361193&tool=pmcentrez&rendertype=abstract
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/article... .

In Brazil, ecological studies have obtained the following findings: in 2006, the rate of admissions for ACSCs was 150 per 10,000 population and these conditions accounted for 28.5% of all hospital admissions; the main causes of ACSC admissions were gastroenteritis, heart failure, asthma, angina, and urinary tract infections⁴4. Alfradique ME, Bonolo PF, Dourado I, Lima-Costa MF, Macinko J, Mendonça CS, Oliveira VB, Sampaio LF, Simoni CD, Turci MA. Internações por condições sensíveis à atenção primária : a construção da lista brasileira como ferramenta para medir o desempenho do sistema de saúde (Projeto ICSAP – Brasil). Cad Saude Publica 2009; 25(6):1337-1349.^,55. Dourado I, Oliveira VB, Aquino R, Bonolo P, Lima-costa MF, Medina MG, Mota E, Turci MA, Macinko J. Trends in Primary Health Care-sensitive Conditions in Brazil The Role of the Family Health Program (Project ICSAP - Brazil). Med Care 2011; 49(6):577-584.^,1616. Boing AF, Vicenzi RB, Magajewski F, Boing ACA, Moretti-Pires RO, Peres KG, Lindner SR, Peres MA. Redução das Internações por Condições Sensíveis à Atenção Primária no Brasil entre 1998- 2009. Rev Saude Publica 2012; 46(2):359-366.; the risk of hospitalization was highest in the youngest and oldest age groups and among people with low levels of income and education, confirming findings from international studies; reductions in admissions for ACSCs were associated with increased primary care coverage⁴4. Alfradique ME, Bonolo PF, Dourado I, Lima-Costa MF, Macinko J, Mendonça CS, Oliveira VB, Sampaio LF, Simoni CD, Turci MA. Internações por condições sensíveis à atenção primária : a construção da lista brasileira como ferramenta para medir o desempenho do sistema de saúde (Projeto ICSAP – Brasil). Cad Saude Publica 2009; 25(6):1337-1349.^,1616. Boing AF, Vicenzi RB, Magajewski F, Boing ACA, Moretti-Pires RO, Peres KG, Lindner SR, Peres MA. Redução das Internações por Condições Sensíveis à Atenção Primária no Brasil entre 1998- 2009. Rev Saude Publica 2012; 46(2):359-366..

There is scarce research into ACSCs in Brazil’s Center-West Region, particularly in intraurban areas. The municipality of Goiânia is an ideal research setting for studies examining rates of admissions for ACSCs as a potential indicator of the effectiveness of primary health care in intraurban areas. The city’s primary health care system is divided into seven health districts with varying levels of service coverage and the medium and high complexity care services benefit from a large supply of beds and well-organized bed regulation mechanisms¹⁷17. Instituto Brasileiro de Geográfia e Estatística (IBGE). Base de informações do Censo Demográfico 2010: resultados da Sinopse por setor censitário. Rio de Janeiro: IBGE; 2011.. Quality of infrastructure and socioeconomic status vary across districts¹⁸18. Prefeitura de Goiânia. Mapa Urbano Básico Digital de Goiânia, MUBDG. Goiânia: Prefeitura de Goiânia; 2011. v.23.. The municipality’s hospital information system encompasses the primary health care network and is overseen by a municipal regulator that assesses demand for hospital admission, referring cases to the most appropriate bed available in the accredited healthcare network. The municipality also has a digital urban map that provides georeferenced health data across districts¹⁷17. Instituto Brasileiro de Geográfia e Estatística (IBGE). Base de informações do Censo Demográfico 2010: resultados da Sinopse por setor censitário. Rio de Janeiro: IBGE; 2011..

Rates of admissions for ACSCs are often a sign of inequalities in health care provision and therefore constitute an important input into the reorganization of primary health care to ensure that health planning effectively incorporates regional specificities.

The present article therefore analyses the magnitude, profile and spatial distribution pattern of rates of admissions for ACSCs in the health districts of the municipality of Goiânia.

Methodology

An ecological study was undertaken to determine rates of admissions for ACSCs in the health districts of the municipality of Goiânia between 2008 and 2013. This time period was chosen because the volume of admissions during the period was sufficient to allow a stable estimate of rates; 2013 was used as the period end date because it was the most recent year for which data was available at the time of the study, considering the deadline for resubmission of Hospital Admission Authorization (Autorização de Internação Hospitalar – AIH) forms set by the Ministry of Health.

The municipality of Goiânia, capital of the State of Goiás, located in the country’s Center-West Region, covers an area of 739.5 km2 and has a population of 1,302,001 (2010 Census - IBGE). The municipality is divided into seven health districts.

Sociodemographic characteristics vary across districts. The South District performs better against socioeconomic indicators and has a larger proportion of older people and smaller percentage of children in its population, while the Northeast District is characterized by lower average incomes, higher illiteracy rates and a younger population age structure¹⁸18. Prefeitura de Goiânia. Mapa Urbano Básico Digital de Goiânia, MUBDG. Goiânia: Prefeitura de Goiânia; 2011. v.23..

The Family Health Strategy (Estratégia Saúde da Família – ESF) coverage rate in each district was calculated based on the ratio between the number of service users per family health team in each district and district population according to 2010 census estimates, as follows: Northeast District, 90.9%; West District, 70.4%; North District, 49.1%; East District, 43.5%; Southeast District, 34.0%; Campinas Centro District, 8.1%; and South District, zero percent.

Admissions data was obtained from the admissions database of the Hospital Information System (Sistema de Informações Hospitalares – SIH), which includes information contained in the AIH forms provided by the Regulation, Evaluation and Control Board (Diretoria de Regulação, Avaliação e Controle) of the Municipal Health Department.

According to the National Register of Health Establishments (Sistema de Cadastro Nacional de Estabelecimentos de Saúde – SCNES), Goiânia has forty-two hospitals with Unified Health System (Sistema Única de Saúde – SUS) beds, six (14%) of which are philanthropic, 25 (60%) private, and 11 (25%) public. The overall number of beds per 1,000 population is 4.99; however, only 49% of these are accredited to the local SUS, 38% are public, 34% private, and 27% philathropic¹⁹19. Brasil. Ministério da Saúde (MS). Cadastro Nacional de Estabelecimentos de Saúde [Internet]. Brasília: MS; 2016 [acessado 2016 jun 1]. Disponível em: http://cnes.datasus.gov.br/
http://cnes.datasus.gov.br/... . This study encompasses admissions in the 42 hospitals contracted by the municipal SUS.

The place of residence (neighborhood) field of the AIH form was used to georeference individual service users on the Basic Digital Urban Map of the Municipality of Goiânia (Mapa Urbano Básico Digital do Município de Goiânia - MUBDG)¹⁷17. Instituto Brasileiro de Geográfia e Estatística (IBGE). Base de informações do Censo Demográfico 2010: resultados da Sinopse por setor censitário. Rio de Janeiro: IBGE; 2011., which provides an identification code for lot, block and neighborhood. After neighborhood coding, the AIHs were then grouped according to health district using a table provided by the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (Secretaria Municipal de Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação – SECTEC). In the absence of a completed place of residence (neighborhood) field, the zip code informed on the AIH form was used.

It was not possible to georeference cases in only 235 (0.05%) of the 502,908 admissions. In accordance with other studies, admissions with the following procedure codes associated with deliveries without complications, and therefore without any associated pathology, were excluded from the analysis: assisted birth without obstruction (0310010012); normal delivery (0310010039); normal delivery in a high-risk pregnancy (0310010047); normal delivery in a normal delivery center (0310010055); caesarian delivery in a high-risk pregnancy (0411010026); caesarian delivery (0411010034); caesarian with tubal ligation (0411010042). These exclusion criteria resulted in the removal of 58,525 admissions, resulting in a total sample of 441,330 admissions.

Admissions were categorized into ACSCs causes and non-ACSCs causes using the list of causes contained in Directive Nº 221/MS/SAS of 17 April 2008²⁰20. Brasil. Ministério da Saúde (MS). Portaria nº 221/SAS/MS, de 17 de abril de 2008. Diário Oficial da União 2008; 18 abr..

The principal diagnosis field of the AIH form was used to identify and categorize the cause of admission into the 19 groups of causes included in the Brazilian list of ACSCs. The cause of admission code was defined in accordance with the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems – ICD-10.

The population base used to estimate admissions rates was calculated by subtracting the total population covered by private health insurance, provided by the National Supplementary Health Agency (Agência Nacional de Saúde Suplementar – ANS), from the overall 2010 Census population estimate¹⁸18. Prefeitura de Goiânia. Mapa Urbano Básico Digital de Goiânia, MUBDG. Goiânia: Prefeitura de Goiânia; 2011. v.23..

The number of SUS service users in each health district was calculated in the following stages: (i) census population - population census tracts were grouped into neighborhoods, which in turn were grouped into health districts; (ii) population with private health insurance - based on the table obtained from the ANS, the number of users per neighborhood with health plans including hospital coverage was determined and aggregated to obtain the number for each health district; (iii) the final population base, used as the denominator to calculate rates of admissions for ACSCs, was calculated by subtracting the population with private health insurance from the census population. The population covered by the State of Goiás and Municipality of Goiânia Civil Servants’ Welfare Institute (Instituto de Previdência dos Servidores Públicos do Estado de Goiás e do Município de Goiânia) was not excluded from the final population.

The arithmetic mean of admissions for ACSCs between 2008 and 2013 was used as the numerator in the formula used to calculate rates of admissions for ACSCs. Choropleth maps were then elaborated using ArcGIS Desktop Advanced^® to visualize rates across the different health districts²¹21. ESRI. Institute Environmental Systems Research. Arcgis for Desktop Advanced. Redlands: ESRI; 2014..

The rates of admissions for ACSCs were age adjusted (zero to nine years, 10 to 39 years, 40 to 59 years, and 60 years and over) using the direct adjustment method and the population of Goiânia in 2010 without private health insurance as the standard population, and the five most common causes of admissions were identified for each age group. A 95% confidence interval was calculated as a measure of precision of the rates and to compare the rates of different health districts. Data analysis was performed using SPSS® Statistics 20²²22. IBM Corp. IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, versão 20.0. Armonk: IBM Corp; 2011. and Epi info²³23. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP). Epi Info 7. Atlanta: CDCP; 2011..

Results

Absolute numbers of admissions for ACSCs were highest in the Campinas Centro and Southeast districts and lowest in the North and West districts. The zero to nine years and 60 years and over age groups showed the highest overall rates of admissions. The Northwest and South districts had the highest and lowest proportions of SUS service users: 92% and 59%, respectively (Table 1).

The average rate of admissions for ACSCs during the period 2008 to 2013 was 152.7 per 10,000 population (CI 95% 157.0 – 162.0). The five most common groups of causes were infectious gastroenteritis and complications, kidney ad urinary tract infection, heart failure, lung disease, and angina, while the least common were nutrient deficiencies, diseases related to the prenatal period and birth, ear, nose and throat infections, pelvic inflammatory disease, and anemia (Table 2).

The districts can be divided into four groups based on the adjusted rates of admissions for ACSCs considering all groups of causes: the South District (232.8; CI95%: 224.7–241.1), where rates are highest; the Northeast District (212.1; CI 95%: 205.0–219.6) and Campinas Centro District (200.6; CI 95% 193.8–207.6); the East District (185.8; CI 95% 178.9–193.0), West District (173.0; CI 95% 166.2–180.1) and North District (169.5; CI 95% 162.3–177.0); and the Southeast District (148.8; CI 95%: 143.2–154.5), where rates are lowest.

The analysis of the adjusted rates of admissions for ACSCs of greater magnitude in each district showed the following spatial distribution pattern: the East District showed the highest rate of admissions for vaccine-preventable diseases and sensitive conditions; the Northwest District showed higher rates in nine groups – kidney and urinary tract infections, heart failure, angina, diabetes mellitus, cerebrovascular diseases, hypertension, nutrient deficiencies, diseases related to the prenatal period and birth, and pelvic inflammatory disease; the South District showed higher rates in eight groups of causes – infectious gastroenteritis and associated complications, lung disease, bacterial pneumonia, asthma, epilepsy, gastrointestinal ulcers, ear, nose and throat infections, and anemia; and the Campinas Centro District showed the highest rate of admissions for skin and subcutaneous tissue infections (Figure 1).

The following results show that rates of admissions for ACSCs were highest in the youngest and oldest age groups: zero to nine years, 326.5 per 10,000 population (CI 95%: 317.1–336.2); 10 to 39 years. 54.4 per 10,000 population (CI 95%: 52.4–56.3); 40 to 59 years, 140.2 per 10,000 population (CI 95% 135.5–145.0); and 60 years and over, 515.1 per 10,000 population (CI 95%: 501.1–529.4).

The prevalence of specific groups of causes also varies according to age group: the prevalence of admissions for infectious gastroenteritis was greater among the zero to nine years age group, while the prevalence of admissions for kidney and urinary tract infection and angina was higher in the 10 to 39 years and 40 to 59 years age groups, respectively. The prevalence of heart failure was greatest among the elderly (Table 2).

In the zero to nine years age group, the most common group of causes of ACSC admissions across all districts was infectious gastroenteritis and complications. In this respect, the districts can be separated into three groups according to magnitude, as follows: the South and Campinas Centro districts, which showed higher rates; the Southeast, Northwest and East districts, which showed intermediate rates, and the North and West districts, which showed lower rates. It is interesting to note that the rate shown by the South District is 3.3 times greater than that of the North District (Table 2).

In the 10 to 39 years age group, the most common group of causes was kidney and urinary tract infections. Rates were highest in the Campinas Centro and Northwest districts and lowest in the North and West districts (Table 2).

In the 40 to 59 years age group, the main causes were heart failure, angina, arterial hypertension, and diabetes mellitus. The most common cause of admissions for ACSCs among this group was heart failure, in the Northwest, Southeast, Campinas Centro and West districts and angina, in the North and South districts. The rate of admissions due to heart failure in the Northwest District was 1.8 times greater than that shown by the South District, while rates of admissions due to hypertension and diabetes mellitus in the Northwest District were, respectively, 1.8 and 1.7 times greater than those shown by the South District (Table 2).

Among the 60 years and over age group, the most common cause of admissions across all districts was heart failure. However, the rate of admissions due to heart failure in the Northwest District was 2.9 times greater than that of the South District. It is also interesting to note that there was a threefold difference between the rate of admissions due to diabetes mellitus in these two districts (Table 2).

Discussion

This present study may be considered innovative in that it analyzes intraurban differences in rates of admissions for ACSCs and excludes the population with private health insurance from the base population. The latter is justified given that the objective of this study was to assess the provision of primary health care via the public health care system.

Studies conducted both inside and outside Brazil have shown that epidemiological indicators built upon ACSCs data, such as the rates of admission examined in this article, provide a quick and simple way of monitoring and evaluating access to and the effectiveness of primary health care services provided by universal public health systems such as the SUS²⁴24. Turci MA, Costa MFFL, Bonolo PF. Avaliação do Impacto das ações do Programa Saúde da Família na Redução das Internações Hospitalares por condições Sensíveis à Atenção Básica em Adultos e Idosos. 262p. 2012. [cited 2014 May 25]. Available from: https://www.nescon.medicina.ufmg.br/biblioteca/imagem/3261.pdf
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28. Bardsley M, Blunt I, Davies S, Dixon J. Is secondary preventive care improving? Observational study of 10-year trends in emergency admissions for conditions amenable to ambulatory care. BMJ Open [Internet]. 2013 Jan [cited 2014 Dec 12];3(1):1-12. Available from: http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=3549201&tool=pmcentrez&rendertype=abstract
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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21134... . Despite their usefulness, other studies have suggested that the use of ACSCs as indicators is limited due to the following reasons: (i) they do not consider the severity of a patient’s medical condition and the fragility of the individual; (ii) they do not consider specific patient characteristics and differences in admission criteria between different hospital services; (iii) they do not directly consider the socioeconomic profile of a given population, level of education and cultural characteristics¹1. Caminal Homar J, Casanova Matutano C. La evaluación de la atención primaria y las hospitalizaciones por ambulatory care sensitive conditions. Marco conceptual. Aten Primaria 2003; 31(1):61-65.^,33. Nedel FB, Facchini LA, Martín M, Navarro A. Características da atenção básica associadas ao risco de internar por condições sensíveis à atenção primária : revisão sistemática da literatura. Epidemiol e Serviços Saude 2010; 19(1):61-75.^,3030. Santos VCF, Ruiz ENF, Roese A, Kalsing A, Gerhardt TE. Internações por condições sensíveis a atenção primária (ICSAP): discutindo limites à utilização deste indicador na avaliação da Atenção Básica em Saúde. Reciis [Internet]. 2013 Jun 28 [cited 2014 May 25];7(2). Available from: http://www.reciis.icict.fiocruz.br/index.php/reciis/article/view/779/1570
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Our findings show that the average rate of admissions for ACSCs in Goiânia in the period 2008 to 2013 was 152.7 per 10,000 population and that rates were highest among the zero to nine years and 60 years and over age groups.

These findings are consistent with the results of other studies conducted both inside and outside Brazil. Studies undertaken in Brazil, for example, have shown rates of between 143.3 and 149.6 per 10,000 population⁴4. Alfradique ME, Bonolo PF, Dourado I, Lima-Costa MF, Macinko J, Mendonça CS, Oliveira VB, Sampaio LF, Simoni CD, Turci MA. Internações por condições sensíveis à atenção primária : a construção da lista brasileira como ferramenta para medir o desempenho do sistema de saúde (Projeto ICSAP – Brasil). Cad Saude Publica 2009; 25(6):1337-1349.^,55. Dourado I, Oliveira VB, Aquino R, Bonolo P, Lima-costa MF, Medina MG, Mota E, Turci MA, Macinko J. Trends in Primary Health Care-sensitive Conditions in Brazil The Role of the Family Health Program (Project ICSAP - Brazil). Med Care 2011; 49(6):577-584.: 14.5 per 1,000 population in the State of Rio Grande do Sul; 10.8 per 1,000 population in the State of São Paulo²⁶26. Rehem TCMSB, Egry EY. Internações por Condições Sensíveis à Atenção Primária no Estado de São Paulo. Cien Saude Colet 2011; 16(12):47515-4766.^,3030. Santos VCF, Ruiz ENF, Roese A, Kalsing A, Gerhardt TE. Internações por condições sensíveis a atenção primária (ICSAP): discutindo limites à utilização deste indicador na avaliação da Atenção Básica em Saúde. Reciis [Internet]. 2013 Jun 28 [cited 2014 May 25];7(2). Available from: http://www.reciis.icict.fiocruz.br/index.php/reciis/article/view/779/1570
http://www.reciis.icict.fiocruz.br/index... ; and 154.0 per 10,000 population in Belo Horizonte, capital of the State of Minas Gerais³⁵35. Mendonça CS, Harzheim E, Duncan BB, Nunes LN, Leyh W. Trends in hospitalizations for primary care sensitive conditions following the implementation of Family Health Teams in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Health Policy Plan [Internet]. 2012 Jul [cited 2014 May 25];27(4):348-55. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21666271
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21666... . However, the results of the present study differ from those found by studies carried out in Italy and Spain, which reported rates of 26.1 per 10,000 population⁷7. Agabiti N, Pirani M, Schifano P, Cesaroni G, Davoli M, Bisanti L, Caranci N, Costa G, Forastiere F, Marinacci C, Russo A, Spadea T, Perucci CA; Italian Study Group on Inequalities in Health Care. Income level and chronic ambulatory care sensitive conditions in adults: a multicity population-based study in Italy. BMC Public Health 2009; 9:457. and 11 per 1,000 population, respectively¹³13. Márquez-Calderón S, Águila MMR, Perea-Milla E, Ortiz J, Bermúdez-Tamayo C. Factores asociados a la hospitalización por procesos sensibles a cuidados ambulatorios en los municipios. Gac Sanit 2003; 17(5):360-367..

The highest rates of admissions for ACSCs were found in the youngest and oldest age groups (under 10 years and over 60 years), which is consistent with the findings described in the literature⁵5. Dourado I, Oliveira VB, Aquino R, Bonolo P, Lima-costa MF, Medina MG, Mota E, Turci MA, Macinko J. Trends in Primary Health Care-sensitive Conditions in Brazil The Role of the Family Health Program (Project ICSAP - Brazil). Med Care 2011; 49(6):577-584.^,66. Burgdorf F, Sundmacher L. Potentially avoidable hospital admissions in Germany: an analysis of factors influencing rates of ambulatory care sensitive hospitalizations. Dtsch Arztebl Int 2014; 111(13):215-223.^,1313. Márquez-Calderón S, Águila MMR, Perea-Milla E, Ortiz J, Bermúdez-Tamayo C. Factores asociados a la hospitalización por procesos sensibles a cuidados ambulatorios en los municipios. Gac Sanit 2003; 17(5):360-367.^,2727. Gusmano MK, Rodwin VG, Weisz D. A new way to compare health systems: avoidable hospital conditions in Manhattan and Paris. Health Aff (Millwood) [Internet]. 2006 [cited 2014 May 25];25(2):510-520. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16522605
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16522...

28. Bardsley M, Blunt I, Davies S, Dixon J. Is secondary preventive care improving? Observational study of 10-year trends in emergency admissions for conditions amenable to ambulatory care. BMJ Open [Internet]. 2013 Jan [cited 2014 Dec 12];3(1):1-12. Available from: http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=3549201&tool=pmcentrez&rendertype=abstract
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/article... ^-2929. Macinko J, Dourado I, Aquino R, Bonolo PDF, Lima-Costa MF, Medina MG, Mota E, Oliveira VB de, Turci MA. Major expansion of primary care in Brazil linked to decline in unnecessary hospitalization. Health Aff (Millwood) [Internet]. 2010 Dec [cited 2015 Jan 11];29(12):2149-2160. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21134915
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21134... ^,3636. Fernandes VBL, Caldeira AP, Faria AA de, Neto JFR. Internações sensíveis na atenção primária como indicador de avaliação da Estratégia Saúde da Família. Rev Saude Publica 2009; 43(6):928-936.. The most common ACSCs in the youngest and oldest age groups were infectious diseases and cardiovascular diseases, respectively³⁷37. Marques AP, Montilla DER, Almeida WDS, Andrade CLT. Hospitalization of older adults due to ambulatory care sensitive conditions. Rev Saude Publica 2014; 48(5):817-826..

Another finding of the present study that is corroborated by other studies is the variation in rates across districts despite the fact that the region is covered by the same universal public health system subject to the same policies and underlying principles³⁸38. Magan P, Otero A, Alberquilla A, Ribera JM. Geographic variations in avoidable hospitalizations in the elderly, in a health system with universal coverage. BMC Health Serv Res [Internet]. 2008 Jan [cited 2014 May 25];8(42):1-11. Available from: http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=2265697&tool=pmcentrez&rendertype=abstract
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/article... . This situation can be explained by differences in health service organization and provision and in levels of literacy and income among the local population³⁹39. Gibbons DC, Bindman AB, Soljak M, Millett C, Majeed A. Defining primary care sensitive conditions: a necessity for effective primary care delivery? J R Soc Med [Internet]. 2012 Oct;105(10):422-8. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23104945
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23104...

40. Gibson OR, Segal L, McDermott R. A systematic review of evidence on the association between hospitalisation for chronic disease related ambulatory care sensitive conditions and primary health care resourcing. BMC Health Serv Res [Internet]. BMC Health Services Research; 2013 Jan [cited 2014 May 25];13(1):336. Available from: http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=3765736&tool=pmcentrez&rendertype=abstract
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/article... ^-4141. Freund T, Campbell SM, Geissler S, Kunz CU, Mahler C, Peters-Klimm F, Szecsenyi J. Strategies for reducing potentially avoidable hospitalizations for ambulatory care-sensitive conditions. Ann Fam Med [Internet]. [cited 2014 Dec 1];11(4):363-370. Available from: http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=3704497&tool=pmcentrez&rendertype=abstract
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/article... .

Our findings concerning rates of admissions for ACSCs by groups of causes and age are consistent with the findings described in the literature. The most common group of causes among the zero to nine years age group was infectious gastroenteritis and complications, followed by pneumonia, lung disease, including acute bronchitis, and asthma. A national study found that asthma was the third most common condition in this age group⁴²42. Wandalsen NF, Gonzalez C, Wandalsen GF, Solé D. Avaliação de critérios para o diagnóstico de asma através de um questionário epidemiológico. J Bras Pneumol [Internet]. 2009 Mar [cited 2016 Jun 2];35(3):199-205. Available from: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1806-37132009000300002&lng=pt&nrm=iso&tlng=pt
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=s... . One possible explanation for this finding is that bronchitis is still commonly used as a synonym for asthma, particularly among children⁴³43. Moura BLA, Cunha RC da, Aquino R, Medina MG, Mota ELA, Macinko J, Dourado I. Principais causas de internação por condições sensíveis à atenção primária no Brasil : uma análise por faixa etária e região. Rev Bras Saúde Matern Infant 2010; 10(1):83-91..

The main determining factors for ACSCs among this age group are socioeconomic conditions (basic sanitation and levels of education and income) and existing health care services⁴³43. Moura BLA, Cunha RC da, Aquino R, Medina MG, Mota ELA, Macinko J, Dourado I. Principais causas de internação por condições sensíveis à atenção primária no Brasil : uma análise por faixa etária e região. Rev Bras Saúde Matern Infant 2010; 10(1):83-91.. It is important to note, however, that in the South District, despite generally better socioeconomic conditions, the rate of admission for ACSCs is 262.02 per 10,000 population. This finding suggests a lack of access to primary health care services, reflecting the fact that the district has only two primary health care units for SUS patients. On the other hand, the rate of admissions for infectious gastroenteritis and complications in the Northwest District, which has the worst socioeconomic conditions and yet enjoys wide primary care coverage, was 2.2 lower than that of the South District.

The five most common causes of admissions among the 10 to 39 years age group are the same as those reported by the literature: kidney and urinary tract infections, infectious gastroenteritis and complications, skin and subcutaneous tissue infections, diabetes mellitus, and diseases related to the prenatal period and birth¹²12. Bermúdez-Tamayo C, Márquez-Calderón S, Águila MMR del, López EP-M, Espinosa JO. Características organizativas de la atención primaria y hospitalización por los principales ambulatory care. Aten Primaria 2004; 33(6):305-311.^,4444. Cardoso CS, Pádua CM, Rodrigues-Júnior AA, Guimarães DA, Carvalho SF, Valentin RF, Abrantes R, Oliveira CDR. Contribuição das internações por condições sensíveis à atenção primária no perfil das admissões pelo sistema público de saúde. Rev Panam Salud Publica 2013; 34(4):227-2234..

Rates of admissions for ACSCs in this age group were highest in the Campinas Centro and Northwest districts and lowest in the North and West districts. The rate of admissions due to kidney and urinary tract infections in the Campinas Centro District was 1.6 times higher than that shown by the West District.

It is interesting to note that the rate of admissions due to diseases related to the prenatal period and birth in the Northwest District was 4.4 times greater than that found for the Southeast District. Coverage of the ESF is greatest (90.9%) in the Northwest District, which, besides having the largest number of primary health centers in the region, has a primary maternity unit. At the same time, however, it is the worst performing district against socioeconomic indicators and has the highest illiteracy rate.

Several hypotheses may explain this high rate: (i) quality of prenatal care is still compromised despite the coverage rate⁴⁵45. Campos AZ, Theme-Filha MM. Internações por condições sensíveis à atenção primária em Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil, 2000 a 2009. Cad Saude Publica 2012; 28(5):845-855.; (ii) studies have reported that sociodemographic factors such as low income levels associated with low levels of maternal education can have a negative impact on a woman’s ability to seek health care and therefore lead to an increased risk of hospital admission⁴⁵45. Campos AZ, Theme-Filha MM. Internações por condições sensíveis à atenção primária em Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil, 2000 a 2009. Cad Saude Publica 2012; 28(5):845-855.; and (iii) supply-induced hospital admissions due to the number of existing available beds in the region. Similar results were found by Burgdof & Sunddmacher⁶6. Burgdorf F, Sundmacher L. Potentially avoidable hospital admissions in Germany: an analysis of factors influencing rates of ambulatory care sensitive hospitalizations. Dtsch Arztebl Int 2014; 111(13):215-223. and Pazo et al.⁴⁶46. Pazo RG, Frauches DO, Molina MCB, Cade NV. Modelagem hierárquica de determinantes associados a internações por condições sensíveis à atenção primária no Espírito Santo, Brasil. Cad Saude Publica 2014; 30(9):1891-1902., who reported a positive association between number of beds and rates of admissions for ACSCs. This finding contradicts several studies that found an association between increased primary health care coverage and reduced rates of admissions for ACSCs²⁹29. Macinko J, Dourado I, Aquino R, Bonolo PDF, Lima-Costa MF, Medina MG, Mota E, Oliveira VB de, Turci MA. Major expansion of primary care in Brazil linked to decline in unnecessary hospitalization. Health Aff (Millwood) [Internet]. 2010 Dec [cited 2015 Jan 11];29(12):2149-2160. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21134915
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21134... ^,3131. Melo MD, Egry EY. Social determinants of hospitalizations for ambulatory care sensitive conditions in Guarulhos, São Paulo. Rev Esc Enferm USP [Internet]. 2014 Aug [cited 2014 Dec 18];48(spe):129-136. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25517846
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25517... ^,4747. Macinko J, Oliveira VB, Turci MA, Guanais FC, Bonolo PF. The Influence of Primary Care and Hospital Supply on Ambulatory Care – Sensitive Hospitalizations Among Adults in Brazil, 1999 – 2007. Am J Public Health 2011; 101(10):1963-1970.

48. Lavoie JG, Forget EL, Dahl M, Martens PJ, O’Neil JD. Is it worthwhile to invest in home care? Health Policy [Internet]. 2011 May; 6(4):35-48. Available from: http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=3107116&tool=pmcentrez&rendertype=abstract
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/article... ^-4949. Ciapponi A, Glujovsky D, Daray F, López A. Serie sobre hospitalizaciones evitables y fortalecimento de la atención primaria en salud. Washington: BID, IECS; 2012..

The most common group of causes among the 40 to 59 years age group was chronic disease, comprised of angina and heart failure, diabetes mellitus and hypertension. Kidney and urinary tract infections were the third most common cause of admissions. These findings are consistent with the findings described in the literature, which show that rates of admissions for ACSCs are higher among this age group⁵5. Dourado I, Oliveira VB, Aquino R, Bonolo P, Lima-costa MF, Medina MG, Mota E, Turci MA, Macinko J. Trends in Primary Health Care-sensitive Conditions in Brazil The Role of the Family Health Program (Project ICSAP - Brazil). Med Care 2011; 49(6):577-584.^,77. Agabiti N, Pirani M, Schifano P, Cesaroni G, Davoli M, Bisanti L, Caranci N, Costa G, Forastiere F, Marinacci C, Russo A, Spadea T, Perucci CA; Italian Study Group on Inequalities in Health Care. Income level and chronic ambulatory care sensitive conditions in adults: a multicity population-based study in Italy. BMC Public Health 2009; 9:457.^,4949. Ciapponi A, Glujovsky D, Daray F, López A. Serie sobre hospitalizaciones evitables y fortalecimento de la atención primaria en salud. Washington: BID, IECS; 2012.

50. Ferreira JBB, Borges MJG, Santos LL, Forster AC. Internações por condições sensíveis à atenção primária à saúde em uma região de saúde paulista, 2008 a 2010. Epidemiol e Serviços Saúde [Internet]. 2014 Mar [cited 2014 Dec 30];23(1):45-56. Available from: http://scielo.iec.pa.gov.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1679-49742014000100005&lng=en&nrm=iso&tlng=en
http://scielo.iec.pa.gov.br/scielo.php?s...

51. Harrison MJ, Dusheiko M, Sutton M, Gravelle H, Doran T, Roland M. Effect of a national primary care pay for performance scheme on emergency hospital admissions for ambulatory care sensitive conditions: controlled longitudinal study. BMJ Open [Internet]. 2014 Nov 11 [cited 2014 Nov 12];349(nov11 1):g6423-g6423. Available from: http://www.bmj.com/cgi/doi/10.1136/bmj.g6423
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/doi/10.1136/bmj.g... ^-5252. Marques AP, Montilla DER, Almeida WS, Andrade CLT. Internação de Idosos por condições sensíveis à atenção primária à saúde. Rev Saude Publica 2014; 48(5):817-826..

The most prevalent conditions among the 60 years and over age group were circulatory system diseases, the most common of which were heart failure, angina and cerebrovascular diseases. Rates of admissions for all groups of causes were highest in the Northwest District and lowest in the South District. The rate of admission due to heart failure in the Northwest District was three times greater than that of the South District. In contrast to other studies, diseases of the respiratory system were not among the five most common causes of admission for ACSCs⁵²52. Marques AP, Montilla DER, Almeida WS, Andrade CLT. Internação de Idosos por condições sensíveis à atenção primária à saúde. Rev Saude Publica 2014; 48(5):817-826..

The difference in rates of admissions due to chronic diseases across districts are particularly important. This disparity may be explained by socioeconomic differences between districts: the population of the South District, for example, enjoys better socioeconomic conditions than that of the Northwest District, which has particularly low levels of education and income and is therefore more exposed to risk factors for hospital admissions due chronic disease, such as smoking and inadequate diet⁵³53. Tavares LR, Victer H, Linhares JM, Barros CM, Oliveira MV, Pacheco LC, Viana CH, Pereira SB, Silva GP, Mesquita ET. Epidemiologia da insuficiência cardíaca descompensada em Niterói: Projeto EPICA - Niterói. Arq Bras Cardiol 2004; 82(2):121-124.

54. Instuto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE). Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde. Rio de Janeiro: IBGE; 2014.^-5555. Brasil. Ministério da Saúde (MS). Vigitel Brasil 2013 [Internet]. 2014. [cited 2015 Feb 4]. Available from: http://bvsms.saude.gov.br/bvs/publicacoes/vigitel_brasil_2013.pdf
http://bvsms.saude.gov.br/bvs/publicacoe... .

The higher rates of admissions for ACSCs among the 60 years and over age group also suggest that this group experiences difficulty in accessing health services due to several factors, including mobility, socioeconomic vulnerability and inability of the primary care services to effectively address the health needs of older persons and the aging process⁴⁴44. Cardoso CS, Pádua CM, Rodrigues-Júnior AA, Guimarães DA, Carvalho SF, Valentin RF, Abrantes R, Oliveira CDR. Contribuição das internações por condições sensíveis à atenção primária no perfil das admissões pelo sistema público de saúde. Rev Panam Salud Publica 2013; 34(4):227-2234.^,5050. Ferreira JBB, Borges MJG, Santos LL, Forster AC. Internações por condições sensíveis à atenção primária à saúde em uma região de saúde paulista, 2008 a 2010. Epidemiol e Serviços Saúde [Internet]. 2014 Mar [cited 2014 Dec 30];23(1):45-56. Available from: http://scielo.iec.pa.gov.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1679-49742014000100005&lng=en&nrm=iso&tlng=en
http://scielo.iec.pa.gov.br/scielo.php?s... .

The results show that there are significant differences across health districts in rates of potentially preventable hospitalizations. The high rates of admissions due to chronic disease in districts with high ESF coverage rates point towards an inadequate health care model and quality problems. High rates of admissions due to infectious diseases among children in districts with generally good sanitation and socioeconomic conditions are probably due to social inequalities within districts. These inequalities go unidentified by the health care services, which in turn fail to assume a leading role in mobilizing the different sectors responsible for tackling these problems.

One of the limitations of this study is that it used secondary data obtained from the SIH, which is oriented towards billing hospital admissions funded by the SUS. When filling out the AIH form, health facilities are often induced to enter a primary and/or secondary diagnosis code that matches the code of the procedure that was performed in order to avoid nonpayment⁴⁶46. Pazo RG, Frauches DO, Molina MCB, Cade NV. Modelagem hierárquica de determinantes associados a internações por condições sensíveis à atenção primária no Espírito Santo, Brasil. Cad Saude Publica 2014; 30(9):1891-1902.. However, studies have shown that admissions entered into the SIH have a good diagnostic validity, with adequate sensitivity (between 70.1% and 81.9%) and specificity (between 88.4% and 95.2%)⁵⁶56. Cavalcante DM. Internações sensíveis à atenção primária: estudo descritivo com foco em doenças infecciosas e validação do sistema de informações hospitalares, no Hospital Regional do Paranoá, Distrito Federal [dissertação]. Brasília: Universidade de Brasília; 2014.

57. Rehem TCMSB, Oliveira MRF, Ciosak SI, Egry EY. Registro das internações por condições sensíveis à atenção primária: validação do sistema de informação hospitalar. Rev Latino-Am Enferm 2013; 21(5):[6 telas].^-5858. Abaid RA. Análise da Confiabilidade dos Diagnósticos de Condições Seníveis à Atenção Primária nas autorizações de internação hospitalares [dissertação]. Santa Cruz do Sul: Universidade de Santa Cruz do Sul; 2012.. Another limitation is that it is necessary to update the Brazilian list of ACSCs to reflect changes in epidemiological profiles and patterns of morbidity among the Brazilian population.

Conclusions

Our analysis of the spatial distribution pattern of rates of admissions for ACSCs in the urban area of the municipality of Goiânia adjusted according to age and groups of causes reveals shortfalls in health coverage and an overall lack of effectiveness of primary health care services. These failings deserve further investigation using different evaluation methodologies and should be tackled by introducing new models of service delivery. Furthermore, it is recommended that health managers should review work processes, the need for intersectoral policies and the location of the individual facilities that make up the health care network within the municipality.

References

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