Table 2. Sociodemographic and Visit Characteristics of Patients Presenting to US EDs in 2016a.
| Characteristic | ED Visits, No. (%) | P Value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total (N = 114 323 044) | ECSC (n = 16 033 359) | Non-ECSC (n = 98 289 685) | ||
| Age, y | ||||
| 18-44 | 53 349 370 (46.7) | 3 809 536 (23.8) | 49 539 834 (50.4) | <.001 |
| 45-64 | 33 839 758 (29.6) | 5 124 995 (32.0) | 28 714 763 (29.2) | |
| ≥65 | 27 133 915 (23.7) | 7 098 827 (44.3) | 20 035 088 (20.4) | |
| Sex | ||||
| Male | 48 915 822 (42.8) | 7 864 028 (49.0) | 41 051 794 (41.8) | <.001 |
| Female | 65 387 451 (57.2) | 8 164 134 (50.9) | 57 223 317 (58.2) | |
| Missing | 19 771 (<0.1) | 5197 (<0.1) | 14 574 (<0.1) | |
| Comorbid conditions, No. | ||||
| 0 | 1 709 339 (1.5) | 530 779 (3.3) | 1 178 560 (1.2) | <.001 |
| 1-2 | 5 884 563 (5.1) | 2 609 244 (16.3) | 3 275 319 (3.3) | |
| 3-4 | 6 022 224 (5.3) | 3 010 601 (18.8) | 3 011 623 (3.1) | |
| ≥5 | 4 270 094 (3.7) | 2 384 637 (14.9) | 1 885 457 (1.9) | |
| Unknownb | 96 436 823 (84.4) | 7 498 098 (46.8) | 88 938 726 (90.5) | |
| Disposition following ED visit | ||||
| Treated and released | 94 286 898 (82.5) | 6 544 983 (40.8) | 87 741 915 (89.3) | <.001 |
| Admitted | 17 886 220 (15.6) | 8 535 261 (53.2) | 9 350 959 (9.5) | |
| Transferred | 1 960 230 (1.7) | 788 512 (4.9) | 1 171 719 (1.2) | |
| Died in the ED | 189 695 (0.2) | 164 603 (1.0) | 25 092 (<0.1) | |
| Patient residence | ||||
| Metropolitan counties | 93 325 990 (81.6) | 12 842 382 (80.1) | 80 483 608 (81.9) | <.001 |
| Nonmetropolitan counties | 20 326 799 (17.8) | 3 102 904 (19.4) | 17 223 895 (17.5) | |
| Missing | 670 255 (0.6) | 88 073 (0.5) | 582 182 (0.6) | |
| Median household income percentile | ||||
| ≤25th | 39 282 465 (34.4) | 5 186 780 (32.3) | 34 095 685 (34.7) | <.001 |
| 26th-50th | 30 718 519 (26.9) | 4 288 323 (26.7) | 26 430 196 (26.9) | |
| 51st-75th | 23 543 105 (20.6) | 3 428 741 (21.4) | 20 114 364 (20.5) | |
| ≥76th | 18 584 638 (16.3) | 2 820 483 (17.6) | 15 764 155 (16.0) | |
| Missing | 2 194 317 (1.9) | 309 032 (1.9) | 1 885 285 (1.9) | |
| Insurance | ||||
| Private | 32 620 995 (28.5) | 3 666 167 (22.9) | 28 954 828 (29.5) | <.001 |
| Medicare | 33 191 411 (29.0) | 7 861 578 (49.0) | 25 329 833 (25.8) | |
| Medicaid | 28 165 562 (24.6) | 2 698 677 (16.8) | 25 466 885 (25.9) | |
| Uninsuredc | 15 102 230 (13.2) | 1 254 140 (7.8) | 13 848 090 (14.1) | |
| Otherd | 5 093 674 (4.5) | 537 679 (3.4) | 4 555 995 (4.6) | |
| Missing | 149 173 (0.1) | 15 119 (0.1) | 134 054 (0.1) | |
| Hospital region | ||||
| Northeast | 21 067 969 (18.4) | 2 871 038 (17.9) | 18 196 931 (18.5) | .04 |
| Midwest | 26 170 557 (22.9) | 3 738 489 (23.3) | 22 432 068 (22.8) | |
| South | 45 520 172 (39.8) | 6 289 625 (39.2) | 39 230 547 (39.9) | |
| West | 21 564 347 (18.9) | 3 134 208 (19.5) | 18 430 139 (18.8) | |
| Trauma center designation | ||||
| Trauma center | 49 355 447 (43.2) | 7 208 750 (45.0) | 42 146 697 (42.9) | <.001 |
| Nontrauma center | 63 754 236 (55.8) | 8 660 345 (54.0) | 55 093 891 (56.1) | |
| Not classified | 1 213 361 (1.1) | 164 264 (1.0) | 1 049 097 (1.1) | |
| Hospital location | ||||
| Metropolitan | 96 527 992 (84.4) | 13 523 365 (84.3) | 83 004 627 (84.4) | .47 |
| Micropolitan | 9 621 132 (8.4) | 1 347 523 (8.4) | 8 273 609 (8.4) | |
| Nonurban | 5 661 456 (5.0) | 774 746 (4.8) | 4 886 710 (5.0) | |
| Not classified | 2 512 464 (2.2) | 387 725 (2.4) | 2 124 739 (2.2) | |
| Hospital teaching status | ||||
| Teaching | 51 699 798 (45.2) | 7 269 813 (45.3) | 44 429 985 (45.2) | .77 |
| Nonteaching | 62 623 246 (54.8) | 8 763 546 (54.7) | 53 859 700 (54.8) | |
| Hospital ownership | ||||
| Private | 27 892 757 (24.4) | 3 924 071 (24.5) | 23 968 686 (24.4) | .10 |
| Public | 5 779 626 (5.1) | 761 243 (4.7) | 5 018 383 (5.1) | |
| Not classified | 80 650 660 (70.5) | 11 348 045 (70.8) | 69 302 615 (70.5) | |
Abbreviations: ECSC, emergency care–sensitive condition; ED, emergency department.
a
Based on the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample. Numbers of visits and percentages are based on weighted population estimates. Percentages may not add to 100% because of rounding.
b
Number of comorbid conditions only available for the ED visits that led to admission.
c
Includes self-pay and no-charge ED visits.
d
Includes worker’s compensation, Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services, Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Title V, and other government programs.