No one likes going to the hospital. Personally, I have always had a fear of hospitals.
Proper outpatient management and treatment can prevent some hospital admissions resulting from chronic or acute illnesses. Preventable hospitalizations are the result of overusing the hospital as a primary source of care and lack of access to primary care for outpatients.
What This Matters for North Carolina
In some cases, preventable hospital stays can occur when patients with certain pre-existing conditions are initially seen in an outpatient setting. However, they don’t receive the appropriate care, which may lead to unnecessary admissions which are often lengthy. Taking a look at preventable hospital stays by the state, research has found that some states are better than others.
Taking a deep dive into county health rankings, Weiss and Paarz analyzed the rate of hospital stays for ambulatory-care sensitive conditions per 100,000 Medicare enrollees. North Carolina residents will find it pleasing to know that we ranked high on the list. Check out the full study here.
Number of Preventable Hospital Stays in the U.S. by Region
U.S. States with the Most Preventable Hospital Stays
