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Study: ED use varies in U.S. more than thought

Accreditation Connection, July 24, 2006

Emergency department (ED) use in 12 nationally representative communities varied considerably from the national average of 32 ED visits per 100 persons in 2003, according to a study by the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC) published this month as a Web exclusive in the journal Health Affairs.

The visits ranged from a high of about 40 ED visits per 100 people in Cleveland to a low of 21 ED visits per 100 people in Orange County, CA.

And despite common perceptions that high rates of uninsured and immigrant residents contribute to higher ED use, communities with the highest levels of ED use generally did not have the highest numbers of uninsured, low-income, racial/ethnic minorities, or immigrant residents.

"The findings are surprising and make it clear that reducing emergency department use defies simple solutions such as restricting access for noncitizens or expanding insurance coverage," said study author Peter J. Cunningham, a senior fellow at HSC, a nonpartisan policy research organization funded principally by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). The study was funded by the WellPoint Foundation with support from RWJF.

The study takes an in-depth look at ED use in 12 communities, including Boston, Indianapolis, Seattle, Miami, and Phoenix. To learn more about it and its many findings, click here.

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