Original scientific paper
Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions at Out-of-hospital Emergence Services in Croatia: A Longitudinal Study Based on Routinely Collected Data
Diana Kostanjšek
; Health Center Zagreb-East, Family Practice Njego{eva, Zagreb, Croatia
Miro Benčić
; Health Center Zagreb County, Family Practice Brdovec, Zapre{i}, Croatia
Mladenka Vrcić Keglević
; Foundation for the Development of Family Medicine in Croatia, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
Conditions for which a hospital and emergency utilization can be considered avoidable are often referred as ambulatory
care sensitive conditions (ACSCs). Until now, there has been no published research related to ACSCs in Croatia.
This study was undertaken with the aim of determining the trends relating to ACSCs in out-of-hospital ES from 1995–
2012. The study is based on data from the Croatian Health Service Yearbooks. Five chronic and three acute conditions
were chosen: diabetes, hypertension, congestive heart failure, angina pectoris, asthma and COPD, bacterial pneumonia,
urinary tract infections and skin infections. The results indicate that the ES in Croatia is overused, and consequently
ACSCs are over-represented; 23.3% Croatian citizens visited the ES and around 15% of all diagnoses belonged to the
ACSCs, with decreased trend. The leading diagnosis is hypertension, followed by asthma and COPD. For a better understanding
of the importance of ACSC within the Croatian context, further research is needed.
Keywords
ambulatory care sensitive conditions; out-of-hospital; emergency service; family practice; Croatia
Hrčak ID:
147542
URI
Publication date:
29.12.2014.
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