The Growing Role of Emergency Departments in Hospital Admissions

Growing use of U.S. emergency departments, cited as a key contributor to rising health care costs, has become a leading target of health care reform. Since 1993, emergency departments have played an increasing role in hospital admissions for almost all conditions. Growing use of U.S. emergency departments (EDs), cited as a key contributor to rising health care costs, has become a leading target of health care reform. ED visit rates increased by more than a third between 1997 and 2007, and EDs are increasingly the safety net for underserved patients, particularly adult Medicaid beneficiaries. 1 Although much attention has been paid to increasing ED use, the ED's changing role in our health care system has been less thoroughly examined. EDs serve as a hub for prehospital emergency medical systems, an acute diagnostic and treatment center, a primary safety net, and a 24/7 . . .