Asthma Hospitalization Data

The EPHT Program tracks inpatient hospitalization discharges for asthma as the indicator source for asthma exacerbation and tracks two key air pollutants, ozone (O3) and fine particulate pollution (PM2.5), in its surveillance of air quality. Tracking asthma hospital admissions and air pollutants using a standardized method will allow for the monitoring of trends over time; identify high-risk groups; and inform prevention, evaluation, and program planning efforts. By linking these data sets, the EPHT Program will eventually track asthma hospitalizations caused by air pollution alone.

The asthma hospitalization indicator uses data collected by hospitals. It can be used to identify trends and patterns in the occurrence of asthma across time and space. The data are organized by different variables to help estimate the number of asthma hospital admissions in different time periods, age groups, and geographic areas, such as states and counties. Asthma hospital admissions tend to be for more severe asthma attacks and do not include asthma among individuals who do not receive medical care, who are not hospitalized, or who are treated in outpatient settings. Differences between geographic areas may be the result of differences in the underlying population or in the diagnostic or coding techniques used by the reporting hospital.

The following asthma hospitalizations measures for New Hampshire are available on the Environmental Health Data Integration Network (EHDIN).

• Inpatient and emergency department discharges
  • Annual rates by geography and gender
  • Annual rates by age and gender
  • Annual counts by year and geography
  • 7 Year monthly rates by geography and gender (2000-2006)
  • 7 year monthly rates by age and gender (2000-2006)
  • Annual statewide age-adjusted rates
  • Annual statewide age-specific rates
  • Annual county age-adjusted rates
  • Annual county age-specific rates
    
• Inpatient discharges
  • Asthma rates by year and geography (inpatient)
  • Asthma counts by year and geography (inpatient)
  • Asthma rates by age and gender (inpatient)
  • Statewide age-adjusted asthma discharge rates (inpatient)
  • County age-adjusted asthma discharge rates (inpatient)
  • Statewide age-specific asthma discharge rates (inpatient)
  • County age-specific asthma discharge rates (inpatient)

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