Patterns in Patient Encounters and Emergency Department Capacity in California, 2011-2021.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

The health care system has undergone major changes in the past decade, and emergency department (ED) crowding has worsened over time; however, the most recent patterns in ED capacity and use in California have yet to be studied.

Objective

To analyze patterns in ED capacity and utilization in California hospitals from 2011 to 2021.

Design, setting, and participants

This retrospective cohort study used data from the California Department of Health Care Access and Information and the US Census Bureau to analyze ED facility characteristics from more than 400 general acute care hospitals with more than 320 EDs in California as well as patients who presented to those EDs between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2021.

Main outcomes and measures

Linear patt

SUBMITTER: Hsia RY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10288334 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature