A study published in the American Journal of Quality Medicine finds inadequate access to primary care is a leading cause of emergency department use among Medicaid patients.
Researchers administered a survey to more than 2,700 "treat-and-release" ED Medicaid beneficiaries. Here are five statistics from the survey.
1. More than half of respondents, 56 percent, said they went to the ED because of "health care service delivery issues," such as issues with access to care or primary care provider availability.
2. Two percent of respondents were in the ED for population behavior issues.
3. Forty-two percent said their visit was "unavoidable."
4. Of the visits related to health care service delivery issues, 72 percent occurred on weekends or during off-hours.
5. Additionally, 28 percent of visits related to health care service delivery issues were because there were no timely PCP appointments available.
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