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AHRQ Research Studies
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Research Studies is a compilation of published research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers.
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1 to 4 of 4 Research Studies DisplayedPickens G, Smith MW, McDermott KW
Trends in treatment costs of U.S. emergency department visits.
In recent years, emergency department (ED) spending has been increasing more than in other areas of health care. Few studies have focused on changes in ED treatment costs. The purpose of this study was to analyze recent increases in emergency department treatment costs to highlight possibilities for reducing the growth of overall hospital costs. The researchers used data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) and applied Cost-to-Charge Ratios for ED Files to the HCUP Nationwide Emergency Department Sample for 2012 through 2019. The study found that ED treatment costs experienced a 5.4% annual growth rate, increasing from $54 billion to $88 billion, with higher treatment cost per visit responsible for 4.4 of those percentage points. The researchers concluded that the study provides valuable information for decision- and policy-makers by bringing attention to components of the healthcare delivery system with the highest increasing costs as well as trends in overall ED costs.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; 290201800001C.
Citation: Pickens G, Smith MW, McDermott KW .
Trends in treatment costs of U.S. emergency department visits.
Am J Emerg Med 2022 Aug;58:89-94. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2022.05.035..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Healthcare Costs, Emergency Department
Pickens GT, Moore B, Smith MW
AHRQ Author: Karaca Z
Methods for estimating the cost of treat-and-release emergency department visits.
The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare approaches to estimating the service delivery cost of emergency department (ED) visits from total charge data only. The investigators concluded that when cost-center-level charge detail for ED visits is unavailable, alternative methods relying on total ED charges can estimate ED service costs for patient and hospital segments.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; 290201800001C.
Citation: Pickens GT, Moore B, Smith MW .
Methods for estimating the cost of treat-and-release emergency department visits.
Health Serv Res 2021 Oct;56(5):953-61. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13709..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Emergency Department, Healthcare Costs
Coupet E, Karp D, Wiebe DJ
Shift in U.S. payer responsibility for the acute care of violent injuries after the Affordable Care Act: Implications for prevention.
In this study, the investigators determined the total annual charges for the acute care of injuries from interpersonal violence and the shift in financial responsibility for these charges after the Medicaid expansion from the Affordable Care Act in 2014. After Medicaid expansion, taxpayers are now accountable for nearly half of the $10.7 billion in annual charges for the acute care of violent injury in the U.S. The investigators suggest that these findings highlight the benefit to state Medicaid programs of preventing interpersonal violence.
AHRQ-funded; HS000028.
Citation: Coupet E, Karp D, Wiebe DJ .
Shift in U.S. payer responsibility for the acute care of violent injuries after the Affordable Care Act: Implications for prevention.
Am J Emerg Med 2018 Dec;36(12):2192-96. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2018.03.070..
Keywords: Domestic Violence, Emergency Department, Healthcare Costs, Policy, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Medicaid
Duseja R, Bardach NS, Lin GA
Revisit rates and associated costs after an emergency department encounter: a multistate analysis.
This study describes revisit rates, variation in revisit rates by diagnosis and state, and associated costs. It found that revisits after an index ED encounter are more frequent than previously reported, in part because many occur outside the index institution. Among ED patients in Florida, more resources are spent on revisits than on index ED visits.
AHRQ-funded; HS020667.
Citation: Duseja R, Bardach NS, Lin GA .
Revisit rates and associated costs after an emergency department encounter: a multistate analysis.
Ann Intern Med 2015 Jun 2;162(11):750-6. doi: 10.7326/m14-1616..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Healthcare Costs, Emergency Department, Hospitalization, Hospital Readmissions