From the "real-world evidence" to prevention strategies: health inequalities in immigrants residing in an Italian Local Health Unit.

OBJECTIVES:to assess the health inequalities of immigrants in the Local Health Unit (LHU) n.1 of the Abruzzo Region with a real-world approach. In particular, 4 main categories of hospitalisation (MDC) linked to health risk behaviours and social determinants were analysed. DESIGN:retrospective study on hospital discharge data (HDD). SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS:resident population in the LHU n.1 of the Abruzzo Region between 2010 and 2018. Hospital discharge forms (HDFs) of the hospitals under the administration of the LHU No. 1 of the Abruzzo Region, which includes three geographical areas (Marsica, Peligno-Sangrina, L'Aquila), in the years 2010-2018 were analysed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:crude hospitalisation trends for immigrants and Italians; comparison of standardised hospitalisation rates in the main immigrant communities. RESULTS:overall, 26,570 SDO were analysed. Average age of inpatients was 40 years (±16) and average hospital stay was 4 days (±7). Immigrants showed a lower tendency to hospitalisation than Italians with a decreasing trend from 2010 to 2018, contrary to the Italians. The Romanian population has a hospitalisation risk for alcohol abuse/drugs and induced organic mental disorders about twice as much as the Italian population. Women from Morocco experienced caesarean section with complications about four times more than the Italian women. CONCLUSIONS:the analysis of routine data highlighted excesses of hospitalisation by some causes and birthplaces. A real-world approach can be useful and timely to the implementation of preventive strategies for specific diseases in defined local areas.