Check up before you check out: Retail clinics and emergency room use

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Alexander, Diane; Currie, Janet; Schnell, Molly
• 署名单位: Federal Reserve System - USA; Federal Reserve Bank - Chicago; Princeton University; Northwestern University; National Bureau of Economic Research
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF PUBLIC ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0047-2727
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2019.104050
• 发表日期: 2019
• 关键词: Retail clinics; Emergency room use; Preventive care; Health care access

摘要

Given concern about inefficient use of the emergency room (ER) increasing health care costs, we use all ER visits in New Jersey from 2006 to 2014 to examine the impacts of retail clinics on ER use in a difference-in-difference framework. We find that among people residing close to an open retail clinic, the rate of ER use falls by 3.3-13.4% for preventable conditions and 5.7-12.0% for minor acute conditions, while a range of placebo conditions are not affected. Our estimates suggest annual cost savings of nearly $70 million from reduced ER use if retail clinics were readily available across New Jersey. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.