Table 2.
Data Sources for Analysis of Hospitalization for Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions*
| Variable | Data Sources |
|---|---|
| Number primary care MDs/100,000 | MDs, 1999 data from 2001 ARF; population is 1999 interpolated estimate from 2001 Claritas data* |
| Short-term general hospital beds per 1,000 | 1999 American Hospital Association Annual Survey; Claritas* |
| Percent of hospitals investor owned | 2002 ARF, from U.S. Census 2000 |
| Medicaid generosity | Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services—HCFA-2082 Reports; denominator: 1999–2001 Current Population Survey, 3-year average* |
| Community health center in county | Health Resources and Services Administration, Uniform Data System* |
| Emergency department visits per 1,000 | Numerator 1999 American Hospital Association Annual Survey; denominator Claritas (Note: based on physician location, not patient origin) |
| Percent African American, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American | U.S. Census 2000* |
| Percent < high school graduation | 2002 ARF, from U.S. Census 2000 |
| Percent age 16+ unemployed | U.S. Census 2000* |
| Crime rate per 10,000 | Numerator Federal Bureau of Investigations Uniform Crime Reports; denominator Claritas* |
| Persons per square mile | Numerator U. S. Census 2000; denominator Claritas* |
| Percent of: population change, 1990–2000; families headed by single parents; house-holds with income < $15K or > $75K | U.S. Census 2000* |
| Percent ages 5–20/21–64 with disability | U.S. Census 2000* |
| Percent annual days with unhealthy air | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency AQS Database. Percent of days when air quality either “unhealthy for sensitive groups” (AQI, 101–150) or “unhealthy, very unhealthy, or hazardous” (AQI≥151). EPA calculates AQI from five major air pollutants: ground-level ozone, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. |
| Death rates: heart disease, COPD, diabetes, liver disease | 1997–1999, 3-Year Averages, National Center for Health Statistics, from 2002 ARF |
*
The original data source is given in the table; in instances associated with this footnote, we obtained the data not from the original, but from: Monitoring the Health Care Safety Net. Book II: A Data Book for States and Counties (Billings and Weinick, 2003b); all variables are measured at the county level.
MD, doctors of medicine; ARF, Area Resource File; AQS, Air Quality System; AQI, Air Quality Index; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.