The settings investigated were departments of internal medicine (IM), orthopaedics and surgery in acute care hospitals in Sweden. The objective was to identify exogenous and endogenous determinants of accessibility of health care. Both qualitative and quantitative analysis of utilisation was performed on national and regional level of data aggregation. The study proposes that accessibility to acute health services is influenced by exogenous factors, partly outside the control of health care professionals, such as season, physical proximity and overall supply. Organisational properties such as availability of inpatient beds, hospital and physician specialisation and the degree of system integration between provides of emergency care have effects on the quality of care. The novel finding is the strong association between acute readmissions and remaining inpatient utilisation indicating effects of bed supply on global use within IM. These conclusions follow: § § § § § § § There are conflicts between accessibility, efficiency and appropriateness of settings calling for attention to capacity to benefit in addition to needs as priority criteria. / De studerade enheterna var kliniker för internmedicin, ortopedi och kirurgi vid akutsjukhus i Sverige. Studiernas syfte var att identifiera exogena och endogena determinanter av tillgänglighet till sjukvården. Kvalitativa och kvantitativa analyser av vårdutnyttjande utfördes på nationell och regional nivå av dataaggregering. Studierna utmynnar i slutsatsen att tillgängligheten till akutsjukvården påverkas av exogena faktorer, delvis utanför kontrollen för de professionella inom sjukvården, såsom säsong, fysiskt avstånd och totalt utbud. Organisatoriska egenskaper som tillgången till vårdplatser, sjukhusens och läkarnas specialisering och graden av systemintegration mellan producenter av akutvård har effekter på vårdens kvalitet. Det nya fyndet utgörs av upptäckten av en stark association mellan akuta återinskrivningar och övriga inskrivningar. Sambandet indikerar effekterna av vårdplatsutbudet på totalt slutenvårdsutnyttjande inom internmedicinen. Slutsatserna är som följer: § § § § § § § Det finns uppenbara konflikter mellan tillgänglighet, produktivitet och vårdgivarens ändamålsenlighet. Det fordras större uppmärksamhet på kapaciteten att tillgodogöra sig behandling utöver behov som ett kriterium för prioritering mellan patientgrupper.

L’obiettivo principale di questa tesi è di analizzare l’origine ed evoluzione della dimensione esterna della politica migratoria dell’Unione Europea. Attraverso un framework teorico che coniuga la letteratura sui ‘new modes of governance’ con quella riguardante il ‘rational-choice institutionalism’, questa tesi si propone di analizzare il sistema di governance in tre settori politici che rientrano nell’ambito della dimensione esterna: politica di riammissione, controlli esterni alle frontiere, e cooperazione con Paesi terzi concernente la gestione della migrazione legale. Sulla base delle premesse teoriche sopra indicate, questa tesi avanza due conclusioni principali. In primo luogo, si sostiene che l’evoluzione del sistema di governance nei tre casi presi in considerazione, lungi dal seguire un percorso lineare verso una sempre maggiore comunitarizzazione, ha al contrario dato luogo a sistemi di governance ‘ibridi’, che combinano cioè elementi vincolanti tipici del metodo comunitario con elementi caratteristici dei “new modes of governance”, incentrati sull’uso di soft law. In secondo luogo, si evidenzia il ruolo centrale rivestito dagli Stati Membri nello sviluppare tali sistemi di governance in accordo con due obiettivi prioritari: limitare l’autonomia delle istituzioni sovranazionali all’interno del processo decisionale e plasmare i risultati di tali politiche in accordo con le preferenze degli stessi Stati Membri. / The central aim of this thesis is to provide an account of the origin and evolution of the external dimension of EU migration policy. By means of a theoretical framework that combines new modes of governance and rational-choice institutionalism, this thesis analyses the systems of governance of three policy areas falling within the external dimension: readmission policy, external border controls and cooperation with third countries in the field of legal migration. On the basis of such theoretical premises, two central arguments are advanced. First of all, it is argued that the evolution of the system of governance in the three cases, far from following a linear path towards communitarization, has resulted in the adoption of mixed systems featuring both 'old' modes of governance in line with the traditional Community Method and 'new’ modes based on soft-law and non-binding commitments. Secondly, this thesis underlines the central role played by the Member States in devising those governance mechanisms in order to fulfil two main objectives: limiting the discretion of EU supranational institutions in the decision-making process and shaping policy outcomes according to their preferred policy options.

Background: In high-income countries, hospital length of stay after a normal birth has gradually decreased correspondingly to length of stay in care of other patients. A short stay provides a greater opportunity for autonomy and an increased sense of participation, but it may involve great challenges satisfying parental guidance as well as on the possibility of preventing, discovering, and treating neonatal medical conditions. Aim: This study evaluates postnatal care based on cost calculations, risk assessments, and parents’ satisfaction with care. Methods: Questionnaires were sent to 1 122 new mothers and her partner during 1998-1999. For the summary of utilization of health care services during the first 28 days postdelivery, the participants were linked with registry data from the hospital administration system for mothers and newborns (n= 773). The answers were also used to describe new parents’ experiences with postnatal care (n = 1 479). The costs for five postnatal care models were estimated, including three care options: Maternity Ward, Family Suite, and Early Discharge. Data about neonatal readmissions and death within 28 days was retrieved from the Swedish Medical Birth Register, the Swedish Hospital Discharge Registry, and the Swedish Cause-of-Death Register between 1999 and 2002 (n = 197 898). This data was related to data about postnatal follow-up practices from all 48 Swedish delivery wards. Results: The readmission rate for the mothers was similar among the various care options, and there was no difference in utilization of health care or breastfeeding outcome due to type of maternity care. As a proxy for morbidity, the readmission rate for the newborns was influenced by postdelivery follow-up routines as routine neonatal examination timing. Depending on the proportion of mothers receiving care at the Maternity Ward, the costs differed significantly between the various care models, while parents’ preferences complied with the cost-minimizing option Family Suite. Most mothers and fathers (70%) were satisfied with the overall impression of the postnatal care, but 72% were dissatisfied with at least one particular topic. A main finding was that the parents experienced a close emotional attachment, an affinity that was not always supported by the staff. The father was not treated as a principal character even though the parents wanted the father’s to be involved and recognized. Conclusions: Since the postnatal care options are not always the most cost minimizing and postnatal routines influence neonatal morbidity and parental satisfaction, the postnatal services need to be improved. Without increasing risks or costs, every postnatal care option ought to meet the families’ need for support, security, autonomy, and attachment with each other.

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- McMaster University, 2005. / "Health Research Methodology". Includes bibliographical references. Also available via World Wide Web.

Bakgrund: Antalet äldre ökar och inom tio år väntas gruppen bli en av svensk hälso- och sjukvårds största utmaningar. Patientgruppens vård utgör en särskild utmaning för sjukvårdssystemet som bygger på flera olika vårdgivare. Forskning har visat att koordination och samarbete mellan vårdgivarna är avgörande för vårdkvaliteten, men är samtidigt fortsatt ett problemområde. Syfte: Syftet är att undersöka sjuksköterskor inom kommunal sjukvårds upplevelser och erfarenheter av mottagningsprocessen av multisjuka äldre vid överflyttning från sjukhusvård. Vi vill även undersöka sjuksköterskornas uppfattning om hur mottagningsprocessen kan påverka patienten och patientens fortsatta vård. Metod: En kvalitativ intervjustudie innefattande sju intervjuer. Intervjuguiden konstruerades av fyra öppna frågor. Innehållet analyserades med innehållsanalys enligt metod beskriven av Graneheim och Lundman (2004). Resultat: Resultaten från studien visar att mottagningsprocessen beskrevs som mer positiv vid ett gott samarbetet med en sjuksköterska inom landstinget, då läkemedelshantering fungerande samt när möjligheter till framförhållning fanns vid planeringen av patientens vård. Sjuksköterskorna uttryckte även att en mer positiv mottagningsprocess bidrar till att patienten känner sig mer trygg och får en mer personcentrerad vård. Erfarenheter av en mer negativ mottagningsprocess relaterades bland annat till bristande läkemedelshantering. Detta resulterade i upplevelser av stress och att utföra mindre patientsäker vård. Slutsats: Sjuksköterskor inom kommunal sjukvårds har både negativa och positiva upplevelser och erfarenheter av mottagningsprocessen. En positiv mottagningsprocess innebär en mer personcentrerad vård av multisjuka äldre. En mer negativ leder till en mindre personcentrerad och trygg vård. / Background: Elderly people are increasing and within ten years time the group is expected to become one of Swedish healthcare largest challenges. The patient group is a particular challenge as the care includes several actors. Research has shown that coordination and cooperation between care providers is crucial for the quality of care, but still a problem in healthcare today. Aim of the study: Study the experiences of nurses in municipal health cares reception process of patients with multiple diseases discharged from hospital care. We also would like to investigate the nurses' perception of how the reception process can effect the patient. Method: The study was conducted as a qualitative interview study, including seven interviews. The interview guide contained four open questions. Results: The informants' experiences of the receiving process were described positive when good cooperation with a nurse in the county and when the handling of the patients’ medication worked. The nurses expressed that a positive reception process can help the patient feel more secure. A more negative reception process was associated with a lack of control of the patients’ pharmaceuticals, a less person-centered care and unease. Conclusion: Nurses in municipal care have both negative and positive experiences of the receiving process. A positive reception process makes care of multi-ill elderly become more person-centered, and that they experience less feelings of stress while a negative receiving process result in a less person-centered and safe care.

O objetivo deste estudo foi a analise das readmissões no Sistema de Serviços Hospitalares no Brasil no ano de 2006, a partir do indivíduo internado. A base de dados foi organizada para analisar as internações em 2006 e as readmissões em até um ano após uma internação em 2006. Os dados iniciais ultrapassaram os 27 milhões de registros, oriundos dos sistemas de internações SUS (SIH), de internações não SUS (CIH) e do cadastro de serviços de saúde (CNES). A localização do indivíduo foi feita pelo método probabilístico de associações de registros (linkage) e, para a composição dos dados da internação, aplicaram-se algoritmos específicos aos dados de cobranças da internação. Foram analisadas 12.391.990 internações com ao menos um dia, no ano de 2006, e selecionados para o estudo 10.332.337 indivíduos, correspondente a 5,5% da população, com uma internação completa em 2006 e suas readmissões no período de 365 dias a contar da data de saída da admissão índice, totalizando 12.878.422 internações. O estudo possibilitou inferências sobre a qualidade dos sistemas de informação da assistência hospitalar no país. Nas internações de 2006, a taxa de internação, financiamento SUS e não SUS foi de 5,6 por 100 habitantes. As internações de financiamento SUS nas categorias analisadas apresentam o perfil semelhante ao do total de internações. Nas internações não SUS notam-se diferenças que delineiam as regiões em dois conjuntos. O primeiro formado pelo Norte, Nordeste e Centro-Oeste com baixa ocorrência de internações não SUS, mais jovens e idosos, e de indivíduos do sexo masculino em maiores proporções que no SUS. No segundo conjunto formado, Sudeste e Sul, verifica-se significativa participação do financiamento não SUS, mais de adultos e idosos. Ainda que com evidência limitada, este achado confirma a distribuição da população com planos de saúde. As internações não SUS com UTI estão ainda mais concentradas na região Sudeste, do que as internações não SUS em geral (80,1% x 67,9%). As internações e indivíduos, na análise das readmissões, de maneira geral apresentaram semelhante perfil com as internações de 2006. A proporção de readmitidos foi de 15,9% e de readmissões foi de 19,8%. O SUS foi responsável por 88,7% das internações selecionadas e foram identificados 3,3% de indivíduos que utilizaram os dois segmentos de financiamento. A natureza do método probabilístico, que encerra certo grau de imprecisão, a adoção de parâmetros conservadores a fim de se evitar a inclusão de falsos positivos, tanto quanto a subnotificação da CIH representam as possíveis limitações do estudo. O Sistema de Serviços Hospitalares no Brasil apresentou relevante taxa de readmissão, independente da fonte de financiamento e local de ocorrência, que aponta para a necessidade de estudos adicionais para se conhecerem os fatores contribuintes. Os dados de internações de financiamento não SUS coletados pelo CIH agregam informações relevantes para análise da assistência hospitalar no país. Os dados administrativos do SIH são válidos para análises de internações e os algoritmos de composição dos dados de internação, a partir da cobrança, aprimoram a análise do Sistema de Serviços Hospitalares no Brasil. / The objective of this study was to analyze readmissions on the System of Hospital Services in Brazil in the year of 2006, starting from the admitted subjects. The data base was organized to analyze the admissions in 2006 and the readmissions up to one year after the admission in 2006. The initial data were over 27 million registrations, from the systems of admissions SUS (SIH), non-SUS (CIH) and from the register of health services (CNES). The choice of the subject individual was by probabilistic method of associations of registrations (linkage) and, for the composition of the admission data, specific algorithms were applied to the data of the admission charging. A total of 12,391,990 admissions were analyzed with at least one day in the year of 2006 and 10,332,337 subjects were selected for the study, corresponding to 5.5% of the population, with a complete admission in 2006 and readmissions in a period of 365 days from the date of discharge of the admission index, a total of 12,878,422 admissions. The study made possible inferences about the quality of the systems of information on the hospital attendance in the country. On the admissions in 2006, the admission rate, SUS and non SUS financing was 5.6 for each 100 inhabitants. The admissions financed by SUS, in the analyzed categories, present a profile similar to the total of admissions. On the non-SUS admissions, we noticed differences that delineate the areas in two groups. The first composed by the North, Northeast and Center-West areas of Brazil, with low occurrence of SUS admissions, more young and elders, and male subjects in proportions higher than in SUS. In the second group, Southeast and South, we verified significant participation of the non- SUS financing, more adults and elders. Although with limited evidence, this discovery confirms the distribution of the population with healthcare plans. The non- SUS admissions with ICU are still more concentrated in the Southeast area than the non-SUS admissions in general (80.1% x 67.9%). The admissions and subjects, under the analysis of the readmissions, in a general way presented a profile similar to the admissions in 2006. The proportion of readmitted subjects was 15.9% and of readmissions was 19.8%. SUS was responsible for 88.7% of the selected admissions and we identified 3.3% of subjects that used both financing segments. The nature of the probabilistic method that contains certain imprecision degree, the adoption of conservative parameters in order to avoid the inclusion of false positive, and the subnotification of CIH represent possible limitations of this study. System of Hospital Services in Brazil presented important readmission rate, independently on the financing source and occurrence place, what points out to the need of additional studies to know the contributory factors. The data of non-SUS financing admissions collected by CIH join important information to the analysis of the hospital attendance in the country. The administrative data of SIH are valid for analyses of admissions and the algorithms of the admission data composition, starting from the charging, perfect the analysis of System of Hospital Services in Brazil.

Submitted by Renata Lopes (renatasil82@gmail.com) on 2018-08-14T11:39:55Z No. of bitstreams: 1 flaviaamaralfreitas.pdf: 2912984 bytes, checksum: 01e8966b900325a7e1dbc5c04e13617f (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Oliveira (adriana.oliveira@ufjf.edu.br) on 2018-09-03T16:31:03Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 flaviaamaralfreitas.pdf: 2912984 bytes, checksum: 01e8966b900325a7e1dbc5c04e13617f (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-09-03T16:31:03Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 flaviaamaralfreitas.pdf: 2912984 bytes, checksum: 01e8966b900325a7e1dbc5c04e13617f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-06-09 / CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / A taxa de readmissão hospitalar é frequentemente proposta como um indicador de qualidade porque está relacionada ao resultado para o paciente e à eficiência organizacional. É definida como a repetida internação hospitalar de um paciente, após sua alta. A identificação do comportamento das readmissões hospitalares é informação valiosa para a organização de intervenções que diminuam a frequência desses eventos bem como o impacto negativo na qualidade de vida dos pacientes e de suas famílias. Além disso, o conhecimento dos fatores relativos aos hospitais associados a readmissões pode servir como subsídio para o aprimoramento do cuidado hospitalar e, ainda, eliminar custos desnecessários para o sistema de saúde. Desta forma, o objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar as readmissões hospitalares pagas pelo SUS em uma capital brasileira, por meio de pesquisa exploratória. Os dados das internações e readmissões foram obtidos a partir da Autorização de Internação Hospitalar (AIH) do Sistema de Informações Hospitalares do SUS (SIH-SUS) do município do Rio de Janeiro do ano de 2015. As readmissões foram identificadas através de método determinístico com uso do CNS. Foram analisados 331.067 registros, a taxa ajustada de readmissão hospitalar do município foi de 11,6%. As readmissões ocorreram com maior frequência em até sete dias após a alta da internação inicial, em mulheres, de 20 a 29 anos. O diagnóstico principal para as causas obstétricas apresentou alta proporção, seguido pelos pacientes com câncer. Entretanto, alguns diagnósticos e procedimentos executados sugeriram a ocorrência de eventos adversos, refletindo que as readmissões podem estar associadas a problemas na segurança do paciente e qualidade da assistência. Conclui-se que este é campo que deve ser explorado de modo a garantir a prestação de um cuidado seguro, efetivo e de qualidade. / The hospital readmission rate is often proposed as an indicator of quality because it is related to the outcome of the patient and organizational efficiency. It is defined as the repeated hospitalization of a patient, after discharge from hospital. The identification of the behavior of hospital readmissions is valuable information for interventions to reduce the frequency of these events as well as the reduction of negative impact on quality of life of patients and their families. In addition, knowledge of the factors relating to the hospitals associated with readmissions may serve as an aid for the improvement of hospital care and the elimination of unnecessary costs to the health system. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the hospital readmissions paid by SUS on a Brazilian capital, through exploratory research. The data concerning hospital admissions and readmissions were obtained from the Hospital Admission Authorization (AIH) of the hospital information system of SUS (SIH-SUS) of the municipality of Rio de Janeiro for the year 2015. The readmissions were identified deterministically with the use of the CNS (Cartão Nacional de Saúde – National Health Card) identification. 331.067 records were analyzed, the adjusted rate of hospital readmission for the municipality was 11.6%. The readmissions occurred more frequently in up to seven days after the initial hospitalization, in women of 20 to 29 years. The main diagnosis for obstetric causes presented high proportion, followed by patients with cancer. However, some diagnoses and procedures performed suggested the occurrence of adverse events, indicating that the readmissions may be associated with problems in patient safety and quality of care. It is concluded that this is the field that should be explored in order to ensure the provision of safe, effective care and quality.

In 2007, the Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS) released a guideline aimed at preventing complications of neonatal jaundice through universal screening and guidelines for follow-up and treatment. This thesis investigates the impact of implementation of the CPS guideline on health services utilization at a population level in Ontario. First, we surveyed all Ontario hospitals providing maternal-newborn services to determine if and when they had implemented universal bilirubin screening, and to gather information about the organization of services to provide follow-up and treatment, and about the factors that influenced screening implementation. Then we conducted two population-based cohort studies using linked administrative health data to evaluate the association between 1) the implementation of universal bilirubin screening and phototherapy use (during and following birth hospitalization) length of stay (LOS), jaundice-related emergency department (ED) visits and readmissions; and 2) universal bilirubin screening implementation and access to recommended follow-up care by socio-economic status (SES). By 2012, the majority of Ontario hospitals had implemented universal bilirubin screening. There is heterogeneity in how hospitals organize services, but a notable trend towards hospital-based post-discharge care. Screening was associated with an increase in phototherapy during hospitalization at birth (relative risk (RR) 1.32, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.09-1.59), and a decrease in jaundice-related ED visits (RR 0.79, 95% CI 0.64-0.96), but no statistically significant difference in phototherapy after discharge, length of stay, or jaundice-related readmissions after accounting for pre-existing temporal trends in healthcare service use and other patient socio-demographic and hospital characteristics. Implementation of the universal bilirubin screening in Ontario was associated with a modest increase in rates of early follow-up (adjusted RR 1.11, CI 1.0014-1.22, p=0.0468), but most babies were not seen within the recommended timeframe. Babies of lowest SES were least likely to receive recommended follow-up, and disparities in follow-up increased following universal bilirubin screening implementation. En 2007, la Société canadienne de pédiatrie (SCP) a publié une directive visant à la prévention des complications de l'ictère néonatal par le dépistage universel et des lignes directrices pour le suivi et le traitement. Cette thèse étudie l'impact de la mise en œuvre de la directive SCP sur l'utilisation des services de santé à niveau de population de l'Ontario. Tout d'abord, nous avons interrogé tous les hôpitaux de l'Ontario offrant des services de santé maternelle-nouveau-né afin de déterminer si et quand ils avaient mis en œuvre le dépistage universel de la bilirubine, et à recueillir des informations sur l'organisation des services pour assurer un suivi et de traitement, et sur les facteurs qui ont influencé la mise en œuvre de dépistage. Ensuite, nous avons mené deux études de cohorte basée sur la population à partir de données administratives sur la santé pour évaluer 1 ) l'association entre la mise en œuvre du dépistage de la bilirubine universel et la photothérapie utilisation lors de l'hospitalisation à la naissance, la photothérapie après avoir sortie de l'hôpital, la durée du séjour, le service des urgences liées à la jaunisse et des réadmissions liées à la jaunisse; et 2 ) l'association entre la mise en œuvre du dépistage universel et l'accès aux soins de suivi recommandés et si cela différait entre les quintiles de statut socioéconomique. En 2012, la majorité des hôpitaux de l'Ontario a mis en œuvre le dépistage universel de la bilirubine. Il existe une hétérogénéité de la façon dont les hôpitaux organisent des services, mais une tendance notable vers les soins post-décharge en milieu hospitalier. Le dépistage a été associé à une augmentation de la photothérapie pendant l'hospitalisation à la naissance (risque relatif (RR) de 1,32, intervalle de confiance 95 % (IC 95 %) de 1,09 à 1,59), et une diminution des visites à l'urgence liées à la jaunisse (RR 0,79, IC 95 % 0,64 à 0,96), mais aucune différence statistiquement significative dans la photothérapie après la sortie , la durée du séjour , ou réadmissions liées jaunisse - après comptabilisation des tendances temporelles pré- existants dans l'utilisation des services de soins de santé et d'autres caractéristiques socio- démographiques des patients et caractéristiques de l'hôpital. La mise en œuvre de le dépistage universel en Ontario a été associée à une légère augmentation des taux de suivi précoce (RR ajusté 1,11; IC de 1,0014 à 1,22; p = 0,0468), mais la plupart des bébés n'ont pas été vues dans les délais recommandés. Les bébés de statut socioéconomique faibles étaient moins susceptibles de recevoir de soins de suivi recommandés et les disparités dans le suivi ont augmenté suite à la mise en œuvre du dépistage universel de la bilirubine.

Health policy makers are struggling to manage health care and spending. To identify strategies for improving health quality and reducing health spending, policy makers need to first understand health risks and outcomes. Despite lacking some desirable clinical detail, existing health care databases, such as national health surveys and claims and enrollment data for insured populations, are often rich in information relating patient characteristics to heath risks and outcomes. They typically encompass more inclusive populations than can feasibly be achieved with new data collection and are valuable resources for informing health policy. This dissertation illustrates how the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) and MassHealth data can be used to develop models that provide useful estimates of risks and health quality measures. It provides insights into: 1) the benefits of a proxy for the Framingham cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk score, that relies only on variables available in the MCBS, to target health interventions to policy-relevant subgroups, such as elderly Medicare beneficiaries, based on their risk of developing CVD, 2) the importance of setting appropriate risk-adjusted quality of care standards for accountable care organizations (ACOs) based on the characteristics of their enrolled members, and 3) the outsized effect of high- frequency hospital users on re-admission measures and possibly other quality measures. This work develops tools that can be used to identify and support care of vulnerable patients to both improve their health outcomes and reduce spending – an important step on the road to health equity.

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the U.S. Acute myocardial infarction (AMI), with or without ST-segment elevation, is a common presentation of coronary heart disease and affected more than 800,000 American adults in 2010. The overall goal of this dissertation was to examine decade-long trends in the extent of delay in the receipt of a primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) among patients hospitalized with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), 30-day hospital readmission rates in patients having survived an AMI, and multiple decade long trends in 1-year post-hospital all-cause mortality, as well as factors associated with these outcomes, among patients hospitalized with AMI. Methods: Data from the Worcester Heart Attack Study, a population-based chronic disease surveillance project that has been carried out among adult residents of the Worcester, MA, metropolitan area, hospitalized with AMI on a biennial basis from 1975 through 2009 at all medical centers in central MA, were used for this dissertation. Results: Between 1999 and 2009, among patients hospitalized with STEMI, the likelihood of receiving a primary PCI within 90 minutes after emergency department arrival increased dramatically from 1999/2001 (11.6%) to 2007/2009 (70.5%). Between 1999 and 2009, among hospital survivors of an AMI, the 30-day all-cause rehospitalization rates decreased from 1999/2001 (20.3%) to 2007/2009 (16.7%). The overall cause-specific 30-day rehospitalization rates due to CVD, non-CVD, and AMI were 10.1%, 7.1%, and 1.8%, respectively, during the years under study. Between 1975 and 2009, among hospital survivors for a first AMI, the 1-year post-discharge mortality rates remained relatively stable from 1975-1984 (12.9%) to 1986-1997 (12.5%), but increased during 1999-2009 (15.8%). We identified several demographic, clinical and in-hospital treatment factors associated with an increased risk of failing to receive a primary PCI within 90 minutes after emergency department arrival, 30-day readmissions, and 1-year post-discharge mortality. Conclusions: Our findings can hopefully lead to the enhanced development of innovative, patient-centered, intervention strategies which can further improve the treatment and transitions of care, as well as short and long-term prognosis, of men and women hospitalized with AMI.