Listed below are some articles and abstracts on topics related to enhancing emergency services. New articles and abstracts will be added to the top as published, and then moved to the appropriate section after one month.
Weber, E. J., Showstack, J. A., Hunt, K. A. et al.
Are the uninsured responsible for the increase in emergency department visits in the United States?
Ann Emerg Med. 2008 Aug;52:108-115.
The number of ED visits has increased 28% between 1992 and 2005, and the current trend continues upward. These investigators looked at several parameters from 1996 to 2004, using the national Community Tracking Study Household Surveys. The proportion of adult ED visits by persons without insurance was stable over the study period, ranging from 14.5% to 16.1%.The proportion of visits by persons with family income greater than 400% of the federal poverty level increased from 21.9% to 29% (p=.002). The proportion of visits by those whose usual source of care was a physician’s office increased from 52.4% to 59% (p=.002). They conclude that the increase in ED visits cannot be primarily attributed to the uninsured, and that a major contribution to the increase is from ED use by nonpoor persons and those whose usual source of care is a physician’s office.
Hoot, N. R.Aronsky, D.
Systematic review of emergency department crowding: causes, effects, and solutions.
Ann Emerg Med. 2008 Aug;52:126-136.
These authors conducted a PubMed search to identify research related to ED crowding, grading the methodology for each study. 93 articles met their inclusion criteria, which focused on crowding causes, effects and solutions. The methods and results for each high quality study are summarized. This is an excellent reference article for those interested in addressing the issues and challenges surrounding overcrowding in EDs.
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