Potentially preventable hospitalisations are those that could have been avoided if the person’s condition had been managed better, earlier. This chapter of the Fourth Australian Atlas of Healthcare Variation examines chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), kidney infections and urinary tract infections, heart failure, cellulitis, and diabetes complications.

Variation in hospital admission rates may be due to system-level differences, such as limited access in some locations to effective and appropriate community-based services to manage worsening conditions. Variations in the quality of patient care provided in different locations may also be a factor.