Dossier n. 145/2007 [Abstract] Numbers of inequalities. Potentialities of health databases

The volume collects contributions and comments of the regional workgroup “Analysis on access to health services through databases” within the project financed by the Minister of Health “Inequalities: generation mechanisms and identification of possible interventions”. The Dossier presents the main results on how the problem of inequalities in access to health services and healthcare can be faced using regional health databases.

 A work group with participants of 8 Health Units (Ferrara, Bologna - former Città di Bologna and Bologna Nord -, Rimini, Cesena, Reggio Emilia, Ravenna e Forlì) coordinated by the Regional Agency for Health and Healthcare has deeply analysed data from the main health information flows of Emilia-Romagna (hospital discharges, outpatient specialist examinations, childbirths, abortions, mortality, emergency).

 In Chapter 1 of the volume some information on the project is given: starting context, motivations, methodological choices (Chapter 1); Chapter 2 deals with the main study trends in literature on social inequalities, underlying the strict relation between social determinants (income, social status, …) and health conditions of the population. In the third Chapter the focus is the health organization at local level, to understand the everyday management of access to health services.

 The second part of the Dossier presents the demographic situation of Emilia-Romagna (Chapter 4) and different studies on the main information flows: hospital discharge file (Chapter 5); access to Emergency room (Chapter 6); certificate of childbirth assistance (Chapter 7); database on abortions (Chapter 8); Register of mortality, in particular of infants (Chapter 9).

The two final chapters deal with the potentialities of a multidisciplinary approach to the theme of inequalities (Chapter 10) and links between health and non health databases (Chapter 11).