State of Emergency

Posted by Mark Tribbett on October 26, 2009 under Service Lines | Be the First to Comment

The nation’s emergency departments are feeling the effects of the economic downturn, but innovations in patient throughput and other strategies offer hope for a beleaguered system.

For most hospitals, the majority of admissions—as high as 60% in some cases—come in through the emergency department. And in the current economic downturn, many hospitals’ financial and operational struggles have entered the organization through the same path.

Fifty-seven percent of hospitals have seen an increase in ED visits during the recession, and 30% have seen an increase in admissions through the department, according to analysis from the American Hospital Association. And more ED volume has brought with it more uncompensated care and patients on Medicaid or Medicare.

Read more at http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/240242/topic/WS_HLM2_MAG/State-of-Emergency.html