Who Makes More Preventable Visits to the ER?

Most vulnerable more likely to depend on emergency rooms for preventable care. Learn more in this America Counts story.

America Counts: Stories Behind the Numbers Who Makes More Preventable Visits to the ER? People in vulnerable populations — as defined by socioeconomic characteristics — made more preventable visits to emergency rooms than others from 2013 to 2017, according to a U.S. Census Bureau working paper. The study analyzed census data linked with emergency visit records in the state of Utah. It found that factors including lower income, educational attainment, unemployment, lack of health insurance, lack of access to a vehicle or internet service were associated with a greater number of preventable visits. Read More Visits to emergency departments are considered preventable when they are for health conditions that could have been handled in a non-emergency setting or avoided if the patient had adequate prior preventive care. Using emergency rooms for preventable care may generate excess costs for taxpayers, increase provider burden, and reduce the quality of patient care. Continue reading to learn more about: A ground-breaking partnership Income and education Employment and health insurance Access to transportation and internet Potential for innovative partnerships and data linkages Help us spread the word about America Counts. Share this story on social media or forward it to a friend. Share This You May Be Interested Who Are Our Health Care Workers? Health care, the nation's largest and fastest-growing sector, employs 22 million. We profile this workforce now on the front line of the fight against COVID-19. Learn More About America Counts America Counts tells the stories behind the numbers in a new inviting way. It features stories on various topics such as families, housing, employment, business, education, economy, emergency management, health, population, income and poverty. Contact our Public Information Office for media inquiries or interviews. Don't miss an America Counts story! Subscribe here.

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