Socioeconomic conditions, physician supply, and ambulatory care sensitive hospitalization in large Brazilian cities

Abstract Ambulatory care sensitive hospitalizations have been used as an indicator of the effectiveness of primary health care. The research involved a descriptive analysis of the evolution of national indicators from 1998 to 2012 and a cross-sectional study of Brazilian municipalities with populations greater than 50,000, by region of the country, for the year 2012, using correlation and linear regression statistical techniques. There was a slight decline in the proportion of ambulatory care sensitive hospitalizations in Brazil. Socioeconomic and demographic factors and physician supply in the healthcare system are associated with the proportion of ambulatory care sensitive hospitalizations, differing by region of the country. Despite advances in the expansion of the Family Health Strategy, some challenges remain, including better distribution of physicians and other health professionals in the country and effective changes in the healthcare model.