By the end of June, hospital volumes were slowly recovering, but emergency department visits were still down 25 percent compared to pre-pandemic volumes, according to research from TransUnion Healthcare.
For the analysis, TransUnion observed patient volumes at more than 500 hospitals between March 1-7 and June 21-27.
Here are three findings from the analysis:
1. Outpatient visit volumes were down 7 percent the week of June 21-27, with hospitals recovering 88 percent of outpatient volume lost since April 5-11. That week in April is when outpatient volumes reached their lows.
2. ED visits have recovered 51 percent since reaching their lows, but are still down 25 percent. TransUnion noted patients with high-acuity medical issues like chest pain were returning to EDs faster than those with low-acuity issues. Pediatric ED volumes remain significantly lower, down 59 percent in the same time period.
3. Inpatient volumes are seeing a 75 percent recovery but are still down 8 percent compared to pre-COVID-19 levels.
Read the full report here.