This shrinking availability of hospital beds could lead to longer wait times at emergency departments, delays in care and increased medical costs, the study’s authors said. For example, during the 2022-2023 “tripledemic” — a surge in flu, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus cases increased — access to care was significantly impaired.
In 2008, U.S. hospitals had 1,749 pediatrics inpatient units. By 2022, that number declined to 1,226 — a 29.9% reduction. During this period, pediatric bed counts dropped 19.5%, while adult bed counts decreased 4.4%.
As a result of this trend, general hospitals have increasingly transferred children to large pediatric centers for inpatient care, which may contribute to overcrowding at these facilities.
The study authors work at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and Children’s Hospital of Colorado in Aurora.
Read more here.
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