Researchers analyzed data from the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample and discovered that of the 10.8 million patients seen in EDs for UTIs during the study period (2006-2009), 9 million, or 83.3 percent, were treated and released. The average cost for these ED visits was around $2,000, or 10 times higher than the cost to treat a UTI in an outpatient clinic, making the cost of these 2 to 2.3 million yearly unnecessary ED visits for UTIs to be about $4 billion.
The researchers advocate improved access to primary care as the best way to reduce costs for UTI treatment.
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