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AJPH First Look, published online ahead of print Dec 27, 2005
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February 2006, Vol 96, No. 2 | American Journal of Public Health 358-362
© 2006 American Public Health Association
DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2004.050203

RESEARCH AND PRACTICE

Disparities in Asthma Hospitalization in Massachusetts

Michael Ash, PhD and Sylvia Brandt, PhD

Michael Ash is with the Department of Economics and Sylvia Brandt is with the Department of Resource Economics, University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Both authors are also with the Center for Public Policy and Administration, University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Sylvia Brandt, PhD, Department of Resource Economics, 212 Stockbridge Hall, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003–9246, (e-mail: brandt{at}resecon.umass.edu).

Objectives. We examined racial disparities in asthma morbidity in Massachusetts.

Methods. We used Massachusetts case-mix data from 1994 to 2002 to screen and track individual asthma morbidity and hospitalizations, which resulted in a sample of 10145 patients who were first hospitalized for asthma between 1997 and 2000. We followed these patients for 2 years after their first hospitalization. Because asthma is widely considered a preventable cause of hospitalization, we interpreted a readmission for asthma as an indication of failed asthma management.

Results. We found substantial racial/ethnic disparities in readmission rates that persisted after control for comorbidities, payer type, and income. We estimated that the costs of repeat hospitalizations for asthma are in excess of one quarter of all asthma hospitalization costs.

Conclusion. Racial/ethnic disparities in asthma readmission rates show that Massachusetts is not on the frontier of asthma treatment.






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