Estimating state-specific population-based hospitalization rates from in-state hospital discharge data.

Objective: To develop weights to estimate state population-based hospitalization rates for all residents of a state using only data from in-state hospitals which exclude residents treated in other states.

Data Sources And Study Setting: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), State Inpatient Databases (SID), 2018-2019, 47 states+DC.

Study Design: We identified characteristics for patients hospitalized in each state differentiating movers (discharges for patients hospitalized outside state of residence) from stayers (discharges for patients hospitalized in state of residence) and created weights based on 2018 data informed by these characteristics.

Trends in treatment costs of U.S. emergency department visits.

Background: Spending on emergency department (ED) services in recent years has increased faster than spending in any other area of healthcare. Analyzing growth rates of ED treatment costs by patient and hospital attributes may illuminate ways to reduce overall hospital cost growth. Prior studies have examined changes in ED visit charges and expenditures over time, but little research has focused on changes in ED treatment costs.

Methods for estimating the cost of treat-and-release emergency department visits.

Objective: To evaluate and compare approaches to estimating the service delivery cost of emergency department (ED) visits from total charge data only.

Data Sources: The 2013-2017 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project's (HCUP) State Emergency Department Databases (SEDD) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Healthcare Cost Report Information System (HCRIS) public use files.

Study Design: Compare a baseline approach (requiring cost-center-level charge detail) and four alternative methods (relying on total charges only) for estimating ED visit costs.

Effects of Hurricanes on Emergency Department Utilization: An Analysis Across 7 US Storms.

Objective: Emergency departments (EDs) are critical sources of care after natural disasters such as hurricanes. Understanding the impact on ED utilization by subpopulation and proximity to the hurricane's path can inform emergency preparedness planning. This study examines changes in ED utilization for residents of 344 counties after the occurrence of 7 US hurricanes between 2005 and 2016.