Report: Half of hospital-delivered medical care delivered at the ER
United Press International
By Amy Wallace | Dec. 5, 2017 at 4:20 PM
Oct. 17 (UPI) — Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine were shocked to find that nearly half of all hospital-associated medical care in the United States is delivered at emergency departments.
In recent years, the percentage of care given at ERs has grown significantly, with a new study revealing a nearly 44 percent increase in visits over a 14-year period.
“I was stunned by the results. This really helps us better understand health care in this country,” Dr. David Marcozzi, an associate professor in the UMSOM Department of Emergency Medicine, and co-director of the UMSOM Program in Health Disparities and Population Health, said in a press release. “This research underscores the fact that emergency departments are critical to our nation’s healthcare delivery system. Patients seek care in emergency departments for many reasons. The data might suggest that emergency care provides the type of care that individuals actually want or need, 24 hours a day.”
The study, published today in the International Journal of Health Services, analyzed data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and National Hospital Discharge Survey databases collected between 1996 and 2010.