Do people living in rural and urban locations experience differences in harm when admitted to hospital? A cross-sectional New Zealand general practice records review study.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Little is known about differences in hospital harm (injury, suffering, disability, disease or death arising from hospital care) when people from rural and urban locations require hospital care. This study aimed to assess whether hospital harm risk differed by patients' rural or urban location using general practice data.

Design

Secondary analysis of a 3-year retrospective cross-sectional general practice records review study, designed with equal numbers of rural and urban patients and patients from small, medium and large practices. Hospital admissions, interhospital transfer and hospital harm were identified.

Setting

New Zealand (NZ) general practice clinical records including hospital discharge data.

Participants

Randomly selected patient records fr

SUBMITTER: Atmore C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8103933 | biostudies-literature | 2021 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature