Association of Area-Level Heat and Social Vulnerability With Recurrent Hospitalizations Among Individuals With Rheumatic Conditions.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Climate and social vulnerability contribute to morbidity and health care utilization. We examined associations between the neighborhood Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) and the Heat Vulnerability Index (HVI) and recurrent hospitalizations among individuals with rheumatic conditions.

Methods

Using a Massachusetts multihospital centralized clinical data repository, we identified individuals ≥18 years of age with a rheumatic condition who received rheumatology care within 3 years of April 2021. We defined the index date as 2 years before the last encounter and the baseline period as 1 year pre-index date. Addresses were geocoded and linked by census tract to the SVI and the HVI. We used multilevel, multinomial logistic regression to examine the odds of 1-3 and ≥4 hosp

SUBMITTER: Santacroce L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9947700 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature