While inpatient admissions grew slower than the U.S. population, the majority of growth in inpatient admissions was from a 17 percent increase in unscheduled admission from EDs. This increase came at the same time as office-based physician visits dropped 10 percent, suggesting office-based physicians may be sending more patients to an ED.
In addition, the report found emergency physicians are responsible for making admit decisions for approximately half of all inpatient admissions. Medicare payers accounted for the most ED inpatient admissions of all insurance types, and most patients showed up at an ED because they were unaware of other alternatives for care or because a healthcare provider sent them there, according to the report.
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