Imamu Tomlinson, MD, an emergency medicine physician, wrote that rural EDs are actually the “blueprint for maximizing efficiency because of their lack of resources,” according to the post.
In addition, rural EDs have a lower cost per Medicare beneficiary than urban EDs because of their reliance on physician extenders and a decreased tendency to request tests or services that may be unnecessary.
“While it is counterintuitive to think that fewer resources can lead to better treatment, there seems to be some truth to this idea,” Dr. Tomlinson wrote. “Overall, the financial and operation[al] efficiencies of rural EDs that are forced upon them hardships may provide a lesson for more advantaged areas in how to survive in the new healthcare economy.”
More Articles on Rural Emergency Departments:
35 Benchmarks for Rural Hospital Emergency Departments
Community Hospital CEO Panel: 3 Leaders Share Insights on the State of Community Hospitals
Keys to an Efficient, Cost-Effective Emergency Department: Q&A with Jeff Wood of TeamHealth
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