Admissions after discharge from an emergency department for chest symptoms : Diagnosis

AHRQ Study Estimates Frequency of Hospital Admissions Following Emergency Care for Chest Symptoms

About 3 percent of patients treated in emergency departments (ED) with chest symptoms experienced subsequent inpatient admissions for related symptoms within 30 days, according to a recent AHRQ study. The study examined more than 1.8 million ED visits in 2012-2013 at more than 1,000 hospitals in eight states. The odds of hospital admission were higher for older patients and those living in low-income areas, but lower for females and non-white racial/ethnic groups. Privately insured patients had lower odds of admission compared with the uninsured or those covered by other programs. Authors said ED physicians and administrators can use the study’s results to identify characteristics that increased the odds of subsequent admission among at-risk patients. Access the abstractfor the study, “Admissions After Discharge From An Emergency Department for Chest Symptoms,” published in September in Diagnosis.

Admissions after discharge from an emergency department for chest symptoms

Brian J. Moore1 / Rosanna M. Coffey2 / Kevin C. Heslin3 / Ernest Moy4

1Truven Health Analytics, 100 Phoenix Dr Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, MI, 48108, United States of America

2Truven Health Analytics, Bethesda, MD, United States of America

3Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety, Rockville, MD, United States of America

4National Center for Health Statistics, Office of Analysis and Epidemiology, Hyattsville, MD, United States of America

Corresponding author: Brian J. Moore, PhD, Truven Health Analytics, 100 Phoenix Dr Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, MI, 48108, USA

Admissions after discharge from an emergency department for chest symptoms : Diagnosis