The brief stated that around 4.4 million hospital stays considered potentially preventable in the study were for conditions that could have been prevented with better ambulatory care, improved access to effective treatment or patient adoption of healthy behaviors.
Congestive heart failure and bacterial pneumonia were the two most common reasons for potentially preventable hospitalizations, costing hospitals $8.4 billion and $7.2 billion, respectively.
Additionally, the study found that one in five Medicare admissions was for a potentially preventable condition.
Read the AHRQ report on hospital spending on preventable conditions.
