Potentially Avoidable Hospitalizations: Magnitude and Epidemiological Characteristics in a High-Complexity Hospital in Chile from 2017 to 2021

Introduction: Potentially Avoidable Hospitalizations (PAHs) refer to hospitalizations that could be prevented through effective management in Primary Health Care (PHC). Identifying and describing their magnitude and epidemiological characteristics are important objectives for optimizing the healthcare system's network of care. Materials and Methods: A descriptive study was conducted on PAHs among patients discharged from Guillermo Grant Benavente Hospital (HGGB) in Concepción from 2017 to 2021. The analysis described tendency, sex, age, specific pathologies, mortality rates, duration of hospitalization, and residential area. Proportions, medians, and rates were calculated. Results: The rates per 100 discharges fluctuated between 8.7% and 11%. No differences were observed by sex, but a decrease in hospitalizations among children under 15 years of age was noted in 2020, dropping from 7% to 1%, which raised the median age to 67 years. Regarding specific diseases, pneumonia increased by 8.5% in 2020, congestive heart failure by 3.6%, while lower respiratory tract diseases and asthma decreased by 8.9% compared to the previous year. The average length of hospitalization increased by one day in 2020, and mortality rose to 11% that same year. Only one of the eight areas studied showed an increase in 2020. Discussion: The results of this study highlight variations in PAH rates, with significant changes across age groups and specific pathologies. Emerging challenges include the need to improve primary care and address disparities among areas to optimize care at all levels of the healthcare network.