Avoiding hospitalisation

The Primary Health Care Research and Information Service (PHC-RIS) regularly publishes Research Roundups, summarising the latest evidence in various aspects of primary care. July's Roundup was entitled, "Avoiding hospitalisation : ambulatory care sensitive conditions." It examines the scope of ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSC) in Australia, and their reliability as a measure of primary health care performance. Statistics for Australia, Victoria and New South Wales are presented and complications of diabetes are found to be the most common ACSCs encountered in Australia. Rurality and socio-economic disadvantage are linked to avoidable hospitalisation.