Rapid Fire Australian Epidemiology Association ASM 2018

Potentially-avoidable hospital admissions among Indigenous children aged 0-5 years (#122)

Bridgette McNamara 1 , Lina Gubhaju 1 , Daniel McAullay 2 , Louisa  Jorm 3 , David Preen 2 , Stephen Ball 4 , Grace Joshy 5 , Carrington Shepherd 6 , Jocelyn Jones 2 , Sandra Eades 1
  1. University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
  2. University of Western Australia, Perth, WA
  3. University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW
  4. Curtin University, Perth, WA
  5. The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT
  6. Telethon Kids Institute, Perth, WA

Background

To improve early childhood health, resources must be directed towards causes of morbidity amenable to change.

Aim

To determine the rates, causes, length of stay for potentially avoidable hospital admissions (PAHA) in the first five years of life among all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children born in Western Australia between 2000-2013, and to examine the key associations with this morbidity.

Methods

Paediatric avoidable hospital admissions (ambulatory care sensitive and other) occurring from 29 days to 5 years of age were identified from hospital separation data linked to Midwives Notifications’ and other datasets (Defying the Odds study). Episodes of care were created and rates per 1000 person-years and for individuals were calculated. Length of stay was also determined.

Results

Preliminary results show that among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in WA in the first two years, the rate of PAHA was 278 per 1000 person-years of follow-up, and 101/1000 person-years during the ages 2-5 years. The leading causes of admissions were bronchiolitis, gastroenteritis, and upper respiratory infection in during the ages 29 days - <2years and dental, otitis media, and skin infections for the ages of 2-5 years. 43% of the children had at least one potential post-neonatal PAHA, and 10% had three or more. Mean length of stay was 2.7 (±3.9 SD) days.

Conclusions

This ongoing work will examine contributing factors for children, families and regions that are associated with risk of avoidable hospitalisations among Aboriginal children to direct prevention efforts and inform effective resource allocation.