CDC: 1 in 5 visited ED at least once in past year

One in five Americans reported visiting an emergency department (ED) at least once in the past year, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The findings show America’s increasing reliance on emergency care, according to Andrew E. Sama, MD, president of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP).   

There were more than 130 million emergency visits in 2010, and the vast majority of visits were for serious medical symptoms. Patients also are not able to evaluate the seriousness of their symptoms, according to the CDC, and the patient’s reason for the visit did not always match the physician’s diagnosis. The highest usages were among children ages 6 and younger and adults ages 75 and older.   

“Emergency departments are the only part of the healthcare system that are always open—all day, all night, all year,” said Sama in a release. “We know from a recent RAND report that even primary care physicians are increasingly dependent on ERs to see their patients after hours, perform complex diagnostic workups and facilitate admissions of acutely ill patients.” 

The report says emergency care represents about 4 percent of the nation’s healthcare spending.

“Even though emergency care is a small percentage of healthcare spending, emergency physicians are key decisionmakers in more than half of hospital admissions,” said Sama. “Hospital inpatient care is a key driver of healthcare costs, accounting for 31 percent of the nation’s healthcare expenses. Policymakers and hospital administrators should be more mindful of the role that emergency physicians play in evaluating, managing and preventing hospital admissions. Clearly, emergency departments must be fully integrated in healthcare delivery systems for both inpatient and outpatient care.”

The report also found that those with Medicaid coverage were more likely than uninsured Americans and those with private insurance to have at least one emergency visit in the last year; injuries were the most common reason for emergency visits by adults; 59 percent of emergency visits included at least one prescription when the patient was discharged; and between 2000-2010, 35 percent of emergency visits included an x-ray. 

Read the entire CDC report.