From the AMedNews:
The number of emergency department visits rose from 107.5 million in 2001 to 123.8 million in 2008, a 15% jump that outpaced the country’s population growth by 60%, said an Annals of Emergency Medicine study published online June 20. The total time patients spent in the ED — a measure of crowding — jumped nearly 30% in the same period, increasing from 330 million to 417 million hours.
At the same time, the number of high-acuity patients grew by 23%, and they spent 41% more time in the ED. The number of low-acuity patients remained relatively flat, rising only 6%, and was linked with a modest 10% growth in ED crowding.
Filed under: Uncategorized
