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National Surveys on Emergency Department Trends Bring Future Improvements Into Focus

By James J. Augustine, MD, FACEP | on April 13, 2016 | 1 Comment
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National Surveys on Emergency Department Trends Bring Future Improvements Into Focus

Key Points From NHMACS and EDBA Data

  • The CDC NHAMCS study, which started in 1992, documents that American EDs are seeing about 2.4 percent more visits per year.
  • More patients arrive with medical illnesses rather than injuries.
  • More patients are elderly and arrive by EMS.
  • Despite increasing volumes and acuity, ED flow improvement has occurred.
  • There is a continued increase in the application of ECGs, MRI scans, and ultrasound in the diagnostic workup of ED patients.
  • Admission rates are stable over the last decade at about 16 percent to 18 percent, and those patients represent about two-thirds of inpatient admissions to American hospitals.

James J. Augustine, MD, FACEPJames J. Augustine, MD, FACEP, is director of clinical operations at EMP in Canton, Ohio; clinical associate professor of Emergency Medicine at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio; vice president of the Emergency Department Benchmarking Alliance; and on the ACEP Board of Directors.

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Explore This Issue
ACEP Now: Vol 35 – No 04 – April 2016

References

  1. National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2011 Emergency Department Summary Tables. CDC Web site. Accessed March 17, 2016.
  2. Wiler, JL, Welch S, Pines J, et al. Emergency department performance measures updates: proceedings of the 2014 Emergency Department Benchmarking Alliance consensus summit. Acad Emerg Med. 2015;22(5):542-553.

Pages: 1 2 3 | Single Page

Topics: CDCEmergency DepartmentEmergency Department Benchmarking AllianceEmergency MedicineEmergency PhysicianNational Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care SurveyPatient FlowPractice ManagementPractice TrendsSurveyVisit

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About the Author

James J. Augustine, MD, FACEP

James J. Augustine, MD, FACEP, is national director of prehospital strategy for US Acute Care Solutions in Canton, Ohio; clinical professor of emergency medicine at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio; and vice president of the Emergency Department Benchmarking Alliance.

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One Response to “National Surveys on Emergency Department Trends Bring Future Improvements Into Focus”

  1. December 14, 2018

    Wendy Hoy Reply

    hi, thanks for this article! Do you have any idea what percentage of emergency departments are outsourced or where I could find that data?

    Thanks so much in advance!

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