Missed Well-Child Care Visits, Low Continuity of Care, and Risk of Ambulatory Care–Sensitive Hospitalizations in Young Children

Abstract

To determine if adherence to the recommended well-child care (WCC) visit schedule, independent of continuity of care (COC), is associated with lower risk of ambulatory care-sensitive hospitalizations (ACSH) and whether this association varies by chronic disease status.

Does High Continuity of Care Reduce Preventable Hospitalization Among Patients with Mental Illness?

“…The other possible mechanism suggested is that the effect of continuity of care on reducing preventable hospitalization is compromised by mental illness. In our study, higher COCI is associated with a decreased odd of preventable hospitalization among non-mental patients (AOR: medium COCI 0.77; high COCI 0.61), which is consistent with all the previous studies on the same topic [11][12][13][14]. However, among patients with mental illness, the AOR for medium COCI is not significant, and high COCI is only marginally significant with its magnitude also moving towards the direction of a smaller effect (AOR 0.69).…”

Attendances, Feeding Practices and Weight Trajectory of a Rural Cohort of Infants from Birth to 9 Months of age at a Facility-Based Well-Child Clinic

“…32 Increased attendance at well-child clinics has been associated with enhanced infant growth and a reduction in the utilization of emergency services and hospitalizations. 33,34,35 The current study corroborates these findings, revealing that as clinic visits, exclusive breastfeeding rates, and frequency of feedings decline, the incidence of infant illness and weight faltering rises.…”

Hospitalizations for Ambulatory Care-Sensitive Conditions among Children with Chronic and Complex Diseases

“…Aligned with our results, data from a large health plan in Hawaii observed that children with chronic disease and less adherence to the pediatric preventive care schedule had higher risk of ACS hospitalization. (5) Our findings are also reminiscent of research at one children’s hospital which assessed primary care, inpatient physician, and parent perspectives on “preventability” during 554 acute ACS hospitalizations. (25) Respondents cited better outpatient primary care follow-up and better quality of care as key approaches for reducing these hospitalizations.…”