Health Affairs October Issue: Emergency Departments, Behavioral Health & More

The October issue of Health Affairs includes several studies relating to the ultimate health care safety net: the emergency department (ED). Additional content in this variety issue focuses on behavioral health, spending, clinician satisfaction, and more. A DataGraphic spotlights aging and health. US emergency department visits for firearm-related injuries, 2006–14 According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), firearm-related deaths accounted for more than 36,000 deaths in the United States in 2015. However, due to the politicized environment surrounding gun violence, Congress has yet to appropriate funds to the CDC for firearm-related injury research. As a result, limited data exist on the epidemiological trends and risk factors related to firearm-related death. To better understand US firearm-related injuries, Faiz Gani and coauthors from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine analyzed national data for the years 2006–14. Of the 704,916 patients who were alive when they reached the ED with firearm-related injuries, men outnumbered women almost nine to one (45.8 ED visits per 100,000 people versus 5.5 visits per 100,000), and men ages 20–24 were the highest-risk group (see the exhibit below). According to the authors, this little-studied problem accounts for an annual financial burden of approximately $2.8 billion in ED and inpatient charges. Due to the timely nature of this article, Health Affairs has made it paper available to all w...
Source: Health Affairs Blog - Category: Health Management Authors: Tags: Elsewhere@ Health Affairs journal Source Type: blogs