Background: There are a range of chronic, acute and vaccine preventable ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSC) in the overburdened public health system in Jamaica. This study examines the performance of the primary health care (PHC) system for managing chronic non-communicable diseases by studying hypertension and diabetes.

Method: The study used a stratified random sample of 285 hypertensive and diabetic hospitalization cases from 2008 to 2009 in the South East region. Hospitalization cases were reviewed to assess rates of ACSC, economic burden of ACSC was estimated using cost of illness approach and logistic regression analysis was done to estimate likelihood of ACSC in SERHA.

Results: Hospitalization was higher for diabetes than hypertension in 2010.The total economic burden for hospitalizations from diabetes and hypertension in Jamaica for 2010 was estimated at J$272.18 million. This amount represents 54.5% of direct medical cost and 1.2% of the recurrent budget for the South East region for 2010-2011. Persons aged 61-80 are more likely to be classified as having ACSC than other age groups, (X² 97.8, p<000). Females show a higher probability of having Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions, (X² 17, p<000).

Conclusions: ACSC is a good performance indicator of PHC because it reveals the rate and prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), the mediating factors and the cost to PHC and the society. More research needs to be done on NCDs because effective outpatient care would reduce the complications of severe diseases and the financial and social costs of hospitalization.