The Avoidable Hospitalizations dashboard displays the number of hospital interactions related to ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSCs), which are those that, in principle, could be prevented or managed at the primary care level, thus avoiding the need for inpatient care. In this initial version, we have subnational data for Brazil and Mexico, sourced directly from the official government health portals. The data can be filtered by country, state, municipality, specific condition, age group, sex, and year, providing a detailed view of the distribution and trends of these hospitalizations over time.
Data Sources: The regional portal draws on data from multiple sources compiled by PAHO/WHO and other reliable sources.
Methods
To identify ACSC cases, we used ICD10 codes organized into 19 diagnostic groups. These include immunization preventable diseases such as diphtheria and pertussis; gastroenteritis; iron deficiency anemia; nutritional deficiencies; ear, nose, and throat infections; and bacterial pneumonia. Chronic respiratory conditions—such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)—and cardiovascular diseases, including essential hypertension, angina pectoris, and heart failure, are also covered. The spectrum is rounded out by a wide range of other conditions, including diabetes mellitus, epilepsy, urinary tract infections, skin and subcutaneous tissue infections, female pelvic inflammatory diseases, gastrointestinal ulcers with hemorrhage or perforation, and perinatal complications related to pregnancy and childbirth. Each group was defined by ICD10 code ranges or prefixes, enabling precise aggregation of hospitalization records.
By structuring these data into an interactive dashboard, users can compare the frequency of avoidable hospitalizations across different regions and population profiles, as well as track trends over the years. This level of detail helps health managers and professionals identify areas with high rates of potentially preventable admissions, signaling shortcomings in coverage or the effectiveness of ambulatory services.
This dashboard thus becomes a strategic tool for strengthening primary care: by highlighting where and for which conditions avoidable hospitalizations prevail, it underpins the planning of educational initiatives, the reallocation of resources, and the evaluation of public policies aimed at expanding access and improving the quality of care outside the hospital setting.
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