Hospital Admission Through the Emergency Department

Abstract

In this issue ofThe Journal, Stern et al¹compare hospital charges and lengths of stay for patients admitted through the emergency department with charges and lengths of stay for patients admitted through other routes to any of five Massachusetts hospitals. Even with adjustments for diagnosis related group, severity of illness, age, and income, patients admitted through the emergency department incurred hospital charges 13% higher and hospital stays 27% longer than other patients.