In 2014, 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. visited an emergency room to receive care, according to new CDC data. For 7 percent of these patients, visits to the ER were the only option, as they lacked access to any other type of care.
Of that 7 percent, adults with Medicaid were more likely than those with private coverage to report a lack of access to providers other than emergency rooms as the reason for their visits, according to the data.
In reviewing 2013 and 2014 National Health Interview Survey data, researchers additionally found that beyond that 7 percent, 77 percent of adults who visited the ER did so because of the seriousness of their medical problem and 12 percent did so because their physician's offices were closed.
"Few changes in ER use were noted between 2013 and 2014," the authors concluded. "Differences persist in ER use and reasons for ER use at most recent visit by insurance type as well as sociodemographic characteristics."
More articles on quality:
The Atlantic shines a light on hospice care in US prisons
5 things to know about the WHO's emergency response plan for Zika outbreak
Feds take over investigation of fentanyl theft at Swedish Medical Center