- 作者：Ashley F. Sullivan ; MS ; MPH ; Chethan Bachireddy ; BA ; Anne P. Steptoe ; BA ; Justin Oldfield ; BA ; Taneisha Wilson ; BA ; Carlos A. Camargo Jr. ; MD ; DRPH
- 关键词：emergency care ; urgent care
- 刊名：Journal of Emergency Medicine
- 出版年：2012
- 出版时间：December, 2012
- 年：2012
- 卷：43
- 期：6
- 页码：1175-1180
- 全文大小：207 K
Background
Freestanding Emergency Departments (FSEDs) have emerged as an alternative to traditional hospital-based emergency care.Study Objective
We sought to determine the number, basic types, distribution, and characteristics of United States (US) FSEDs in?2007.
Methods
Combining data from the 2007 National Emergency Department Inventory-USA database, the 2007 American Hospital Association Annual Survey of Hospitals, Internet searches, and telephone calls, we established an inventory of FSEDs. We define FSEDs as emergency care facilities physically distinct from a hospital. FSEDs include ¡°satellite¡± Emergency Departments (EDs), which are owned by a parent hospital, and ¡°autonomous¡± EDs, which lack such an affiliation.
Results
We identified 80 FSEDs operating in 2007, representing 1.6 % of all US EDs; 73 (91 % ) in 20?states were satellite EDs, and seven (9 % ) in three states were autonomous EDs. Most FSEDs (92 % ; 95 % confidence interval 83-97 % ) were located in urban areas, which is considerably higher than the proportion for hospital-based EDs (58 % ). The median distance from a satellite ED to a?parent?hospital ED was 10.6 miles. In 2007, FSED annual visit volumes ranged from 700 to 56,545 visits. The 2007 median visit volume was 18,769 (interquartile range 11,106-23,504; n = 52). This value did not vary by geographic region and is almost identical to the 2007 median?visit volume for hospital-based EDs (18,776 visits).
Conclusions
FSEDs represent?<2 % of US EDs, with satellite EDs comprising a?majority of all FSEDs. Most (92 % ) FSEDs are located in urban areas.