ED Visits Rise by Almost 10% in 2009

Visits to hospital emergency departments rose by almost 10 percent between 2008 and 2009, which are the most recent figures available from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to a San Francisco Chronicle report.

Physicians within the American College of Emergency Physicians in San Francisco believe the increased ED visits could be related to the tough economy. "With the economy, people have lost their coverage, and given the fact the emergency department is the safety net, they come to us," said Jay Kaplan, MD, an emergency physician at Marin General Hospital in Greenbrae, Calif., in the report.

Additionally, some emergency physicians think the fear of malpractice litigation is a cause behind the increasing costs of emergency care, according to the report.

Related Articles on Hospital Emergency Departments:

No Waiting Room, No Wait? A New ED Model at Washington's Swedish Medical Center
Some EDs Provide Speedier Care to "VIP Patients"
80% of ED Physicians Report Increase in Patient Visits

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