Asthma is a leading cause of hospitalizations among children in the United States. It accounts for millions of dollars in hospital charges at the national, state, and county levels. The prevention of these hospitalizations is an important public health issue given the financial costs of hospitalizations in an already overburdened healthcare system. This study addresses sociodemographic factors associated with hospitalizations for childhood asthma among children who reside in DeKalb County, Georgia. Results highlight the unequal burden of asthma in the southern portion of the county. Additional analysis suggests that changes to existing institution-level surveillance systems can be made to improve upon the quality of data available to researchers. This research calls for a state-wide asthma surveillance system that routinely collects information on the most common indicators of disease burden, thereby improving the ability of public health professionals to accurately determine and manage the needs of children with asthma.

As internações e reinternações por tuberculose (TB) representam elevada carga econômica e social para o sistema de saúde. Assim, objetivou-se analisar a distribuição espacial dos casos de internações e reinternações evitáveis por TB e seus custos para o sistema de saúde em Natal, no Rio Grande do Norte. Estudo exploratório descritivo, cujos dados foram obtidos no Sistema de Informação Hospitalar do Sistema Único de Saúde (SIH/SUS). A população compreende os casos de internação e reinternação por TB, classificados como evitáveis e ocorridos entre 2008 e 2013. Procedeu-se inicialmente às análises dos dados por meio de estatística descritiva e testes não paramétricos, realizados no software Statistica 12.0. A geocodificação das internações e reinternações foi processada no TerraView versão 4.2.2. Nas análises espaciais, os bairros e setores censitários foram as unidades geográficas adotadas. A técnica de densidade de pontos de Kernel foi aplicada. As taxas brutas foram estimadas e suavizadas pelo Método Bayesiano Empírico Global. Utilizaram-se os Índices de Moran Global e Local para avaliar a dependência espacial. Mapas coropléticos foram construídos no software ArcGis 10.2. Foram identificados 569 casos de internações por TB: 554 (97,4%) apresentaram a forma pulmonar; 353 (62,0%) possuíam idade entre 30 e 59 anos; 442 (77,7%) eram do sexo masculino; 290 (87,3%) de raça/cor parda. Do total de internações, 76 (13,4%) evoluíram para óbito e 102 (17,9%) reinternaram. No período estudado, foi gasto um montante de R$ 1.749.212,54 com internações e reinternações evitáveis por TB, representando um custo médio anual de R$ 291.535,42. As áreas com maiores densidades de internações e reinternações evitáveis por TB estão concentradas nos Distritos de Saúde Oeste, Norte e Leste. A distribuição espacial dos eventos foi heterogênea, com áreas de taxas elevadas nos Distritos Leste e Oeste. Na análise das taxas de internação por TB, encontrou-se Índice de Moran Global de 0,15 (p = 0,06) para os bairros e 0,16 (p = 0,01) para setores censitários. Já, para as taxas de reinternação por TB, o Índice de Moran Global foi 0,22 (p = 0,03) para os bairros e 0,03 (p = 0,04) para setores censitários, com clusters de internações Alto-Alto (n = 2 bairros - Santos Reis e Petrópolis, ambos situados no Distrito Leste) e clusters Baixo-Baixo (n = 4 bairros) em Bairros do Distrito Sul. No tocante aos clusters de reinternações, destacam-se n = 4 bairros Alto-Alto do Distrito Leste (Santos Reis, Petrópolis, Praia do Meio e Rocas), Baixo-Baixo (n = 3 bairros) no Distrito Norte (Pajuçara, Lagoa Azul e Potengi). O padrão de distribuição espacial desses eventos indica áreas vulneráveis à ocorrência de casos de internação e reinternação evitáveis por TB e sugere fragilidade no acesso à Atenção Primária à Saúde. O reconhecimento dessas áreas poderá contribuir com a gestão pública na melhoria do acesso aos serviços de saúde e no uso equitativo e eficiente dos recursos de saúde, visando à redução dos custos com esses eventos. / Hospitalizations and rehospitalizations by tuberculosis (TB) represent a high economic and social burden for the health system. Thus, the aim was to analyze the spatial distribution of avoidable cases of hospitalizations and rehospitalizations for TB and their costs to the health system in Natal - Rio Grande do Norte State. It is a descriptive-exploratory study whose data were obtained in the Hospital Information System of the Unified Health System (SIH/SUS). The population includes cases of hospitalization and rehospitalization for TB classified as preventable that occurred between 2008 and 2013. Initially, the data were analyzed through descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests performed in the software Statistica 12.0. The geocoding of hospitalizations and readmissions was processed in TerraView, version 4.2.2. The neighborhoods and census tracts were the geographical units adopted in the spatial analyses. It was applied Kernel density estimation. Gross rates were estimated and smoothed by the Bayesian Global Empirical Method. Moran Global and Local Indices were used to evaluate the spatial dependence. Choropleth maps were constructed in the ArcGis 10.2 software. It was possible to identify 569 cases of TB hospitalizations of which 554 (97.4%) presented the pulmonary form, 353 (62.0%) were between 30 and 59 years, 442 (77.7%) were males and 290 (87.3%) were of brown color/race. Of the total hospitalizations, 76 (13.4%) died, and 102 (17.9%) were rehospitalized. In the period studied, an amount of R$ 1,749,212.54 was spent on avoidable hospitalizations and readmissions for TB, representing an average annual cost of R$ 291,535.42. The areas with the highest densities of avoidable hospitalizations and rehospitalizations for TB concentrated in the West, North and East Health Districts. The spatial distribution of events was heterogeneous, with areas of high rates in the Eastern and Western Districts. Moran Global index of 0.15 (p=0.06) for neighborhoods and 0.16 (p=0.01) for census tracts were found in the hospitalization rates analysis for TB. As for the rehospitalization rates of TB, Moran Global index was 0.22 (p=0.03) for the neighborhoods and 0.03 (p=0.04) for census tracts, with clusters of High-High hospitalizations (N=2 neighborhoods - Santos Reis and Petrópolis, both located in the Eastern District) and Low-Low clusters (n=4 neighborhoods) in the Southern District neighborhoods. About readmissions clusters, it is worth highlighting n=4 High-High neighborhoods of the Eastern District (Santos Reis, Petrópolis, Praia do Meio and Rocas) and Low-Low (n=3 neighborhoods) in the Northern District (Pajuçara, Lagoa Azul and Potengi). The spatial distribution pattern of these events indicates vulnerable areas to the occurrence of avoidable cases of hospitalization and rehospitalization by TB and suggests some fragility to the access for Primary Health Care. The recognition of such areas may contribute to improving the public management for health services access and the equitable and efficient use of health resources to reduce the costs of these events.

Readmission of skilled nursing facility (SNF) residents has become a financial and quality-of-care concern for facility leaders. SNF administrators do not know whether nurse staffing levels are impacting readmission rates. The Affordable Care Act included measures to monitor and improve quality and to penalize SNFs that have high readmission rates. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between SNF nurse staffing levels and readmission rates using the Skilled Nursing Facility Readmission Measure (SNF RM). The theoretical framework for the study was Donabedian's structure, process, outcome model. The research questions addressed the relationship between nurse staffing levels and rehospitalization percentages for SNFs, and the relationship between RN staffing levels and rehospitalization percentages. A quantitative methodology was used to analyze publicly reported secondary data from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services staffing files and SNF Value-Based Purchasing (SNF VBP) program data. Pearson's correlation was used to examine the relationship and strength between nurse staffing levels and the SNF RM. The sample included 374 SNFs across Georgia that participated in the SNF VBP program. Findings from the multiple regression analysis and analysis of variance indicated no statistically significant relationship between nurse staffing levels and SNF RM rates. Facility characteristics across Georgia showed some variations in staffing levels and SNF RM rates. Findings promote positive social change by providing SNF leaders with needed information to make decisions about staffing needs when considering staffing above the state averages. Health care leaders and policymakers might use the findings when considering recommendations for staffing regulations.

As internações e reinternações por tuberculose (TB) representam elevada carga econômica e social para o sistema de saúde. Assim, objetivou-se analisar a distribuição espacial dos casos de internações e reinternações evitáveis por TB e seus custos para o sistema de saúde em Natal, no Rio Grande do Norte. Estudo exploratório descritivo, cujos dados foram obtidos no Sistema de Informação Hospitalar do Sistema Único de Saúde (SIH/SUS). A população compreende os casos de internação e reinternação por TB, classificados como evitáveis e ocorridos entre 2008 e 2013. Procedeu-se inicialmente às análises dos dados por meio de estatística descritiva e testes não paramétricos, realizados no software Statistica 12.0. A geocodificação das internações e reinternações foi processada no TerraView versão 4.2.2. Nas análises espaciais, os bairros e setores censitários foram as unidades geográficas adotadas. A técnica de densidade de pontos de Kernel foi aplicada. As taxas brutas foram estimadas e suavizadas pelo Método Bayesiano Empírico Global. Utilizaram-se os Índices de Moran Global e Local para avaliar a dependência espacial. Mapas coropléticos foram construídos no software ArcGis 10.2. Foram identificados 569 casos de internações por TB: 554 (97,4%) apresentaram a forma pulmonar; 353 (62,0%) possuíam idade entre 30 e 59 anos; 442 (77,7%) eram do sexo masculino; 290 (87,3%) de raça/cor parda. Do total de internações, 76 (13,4%) evoluíram para óbito e 102 (17,9%) reinternaram. No período estudado, foi gasto um montante de R$ 1.749.212,54 com internações e reinternações evitáveis por TB, representando um custo médio anual de R$ 291.535,42. As áreas com maiores densidades de internações e reinternações evitáveis por TB estão concentradas nos Distritos de Saúde Oeste, Norte e Leste. A distribuição espacial dos eventos foi heterogênea, com áreas de taxas elevadas nos Distritos Leste e Oeste. Na análise das taxas de internação por TB, encontrou-se Índice de Moran Global de 0,15 (p = 0,06) para os bairros e 0,16 (p = 0,01) para setores censitários. Já, para as taxas de reinternação por TB, o Índice de Moran Global foi 0,22 (p = 0,03) para os bairros e 0,03 (p = 0,04) para setores censitários, com clusters de internações Alto-Alto (n = 2 bairros - Santos Reis e Petrópolis, ambos situados no Distrito Leste) e clusters Baixo-Baixo (n = 4 bairros) em Bairros do Distrito Sul. No tocante aos clusters de reinternações, destacam-se n = 4 bairros Alto-Alto do Distrito Leste (Santos Reis, Petrópolis, Praia do Meio e Rocas), Baixo-Baixo (n = 3 bairros) no Distrito Norte (Pajuçara, Lagoa Azul e Potengi). O padrão de distribuição espacial desses eventos indica áreas vulneráveis à ocorrência de casos de internação e reinternação evitáveis por TB e sugere fragilidade no acesso à Atenção Primária à Saúde. O reconhecimento dessas áreas poderá contribuir com a gestão pública na melhoria do acesso aos serviços de saúde e no uso equitativo e eficiente dos recursos de saúde, visando à redução dos custos com esses eventos. / Hospitalizations and rehospitalizations by tuberculosis (TB) represent a high economic and social burden for the health system. Thus, the aim was to analyze the spatial distribution of avoidable cases of hospitalizations and rehospitalizations for TB and their costs to the health system in Natal - Rio Grande do Norte State. It is a descriptive-exploratory study whose data were obtained in the Hospital Information System of the Unified Health System (SIH/SUS). The population includes cases of hospitalization and rehospitalization for TB classified as preventable that occurred between 2008 and 2013. Initially, the data were analyzed through descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests performed in the software Statistica 12.0. The geocoding of hospitalizations and readmissions was processed in TerraView, version 4.2.2. The neighborhoods and census tracts were the geographical units adopted in the spatial analyses. It was applied Kernel density estimation. Gross rates were estimated and smoothed by the Bayesian Global Empirical Method. Moran Global and Local Indices were used to evaluate the spatial dependence. Choropleth maps were constructed in the ArcGis 10.2 software. It was possible to identify 569 cases of TB hospitalizations of which 554 (97.4%) presented the pulmonary form, 353 (62.0%) were between 30 and 59 years, 442 (77.7%) were males and 290 (87.3%) were of brown color/race. Of the total hospitalizations, 76 (13.4%) died, and 102 (17.9%) were rehospitalized. In the period studied, an amount of R$ 1,749,212.54 was spent on avoidable hospitalizations and readmissions for TB, representing an average annual cost of R$ 291,535.42. The areas with the highest densities of avoidable hospitalizations and rehospitalizations for TB concentrated in the West, North and East Health Districts. The spatial distribution of events was heterogeneous, with areas of high rates in the Eastern and Western Districts. Moran Global index of 0.15 (p=0.06) for neighborhoods and 0.16 (p=0.01) for census tracts were found in the hospitalization rates analysis for TB. As for the rehospitalization rates of TB, Moran Global index was 0.22 (p=0.03) for the neighborhoods and 0.03 (p=0.04) for census tracts, with clusters of High-High hospitalizations (N=2 neighborhoods - Santos Reis and Petrópolis, both located in the Eastern District) and Low-Low clusters (n=4 neighborhoods) in the Southern District neighborhoods. About readmissions clusters, it is worth highlighting n=4 High-High neighborhoods of the Eastern District (Santos Reis, Petrópolis, Praia do Meio and Rocas) and Low-Low (n=3 neighborhoods) in the Northern District (Pajuçara, Lagoa Azul and Potengi). The spatial distribution pattern of these events indicates vulnerable areas to the occurrence of avoidable cases of hospitalization and rehospitalization by TB and suggests some fragility to the access for Primary Health Care. The recognition of such areas may contribute to improving the public management for health services access and the equitable and efficient use of health resources to reduce the costs of these events.