Healthcare Design - September 2024 - 39
I N F O CUS
S T R A T E G I C A PPR O A C H E S to D E S I GN C H A L L E N GE S
THE NARRATIVE PUSHED to hospital administrators
and strategic and facility planners for
years is that site-of-care shifts are causing emergency
department (ED) use rates to decrease-
and will continue to do so for the foreseeable
future. These projections are based on the idea
that as alternative immediate care options such
as urgent care centers and retail clinics proliferate,
lower-acuity ED visits will shift to these
new, lower-cost settings, potentially resulting in
a need for less ED space.
Despite the well-documented rise of immediate
and urgent care sites, data from the National
Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and American
Hospital Association show that ED use rates
are increasing, though year-over-year growth
is slowing. Based on this trend, emergency departments
will require either more space, more
patient care positions (assigned places where
ED patients are seen), and/or more efficient operations
to accommodate higher volumes in an
equivalent space.
EMERGENCY DESIGN
CHARTING A COURSE
Contrary to predictions for a shift in care sites, emergency
department use rates are growing, driving the need for new
planning and design strategies By Jillian Barbaro
PATIENT-RELATED VARIABLES
Some ED volume may be shifting to alternate
locations, but that change is largely being offset
due to other variables such as age, insurance
coverage, race, facility location, and unmet demand
for specialized care, such as behavioral
health services. Segmenting the data by demographic
section reveals that some population cohorts
are driving higher emergency department
use while others are decreasing their ED use.
For example, in the past decade, most age cohorts
have shown decreasing ED use rates, with
the exception of two groups: patients under age
15 and those ages 45-64. The largest absolute
trend change was in the under-15 cohort, where
ED volumes increased at a rate of 6.3 visits per
1,000 children per year. In the 45-64 cohort, ED
volumes increased at a rate of 3.4 visits per 1,000
adults per year. Of note, while the ED use rate for
older adults and the elderly (65 years and older)
is declining, the rapid population growth in this
age group continues to drive high ED utilization,
which can be expected to continue.
At a high-level, two other factors
are shaping the needs and considerations
for ED facility planning:
acuity and mental health.
SEP TEMBER 202 4
39
DAVID SENIOR
Healthcare Design - September 2024
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Healthcare Design - September 2024
Healthcare Design - September 2024 - Cover1
Healthcare Design - September 2024 - Cover2
Healthcare Design - September 2024 - 1
Healthcare Design - September 2024 - 2
Healthcare Design - September 2024 - 3
Healthcare Design - September 2024 - 4
Healthcare Design - September 2024 - 5
Healthcare Design - September 2024 - 6
Healthcare Design - September 2024 - 7
Healthcare Design - September 2024 - 8
Healthcare Design - September 2024 - 9
Healthcare Design - September 2024 - 10
Healthcare Design - September 2024 - 11
Healthcare Design - September 2024 - 12
Healthcare Design - September 2024 - 13
Healthcare Design - September 2024 - 14
Healthcare Design - September 2024 - 15
Healthcare Design - September 2024 - 16
Healthcare Design - September 2024 - 17
Healthcare Design - September 2024 - 18
Healthcare Design - September 2024 - 19
Healthcare Design - September 2024 - 20
Healthcare Design - September 2024 - 21
Healthcare Design - September 2024 - 22
Healthcare Design - September 2024 - 23
Healthcare Design - September 2024 - 24
Healthcare Design - September 2024 - 25
Healthcare Design - September 2024 - 26
Healthcare Design - September 2024 - 27
Healthcare Design - September 2024 - 28
Healthcare Design - September 2024 - 29
Healthcare Design - September 2024 - 30
Healthcare Design - September 2024 - 31
Healthcare Design - September 2024 - 32
Healthcare Design - September 2024 - 33
Healthcare Design - September 2024 - 34
Healthcare Design - September 2024 - 35
Healthcare Design - September 2024 - 36
Healthcare Design - September 2024 - 37
Healthcare Design - September 2024 - 38
Healthcare Design - September 2024 - 39
Healthcare Design - September 2024 - 40
Healthcare Design - September 2024 - 41
Healthcare Design - September 2024 - 42
Healthcare Design - September 2024 - 43
Healthcare Design - September 2024 - 44
Healthcare Design - September 2024 - 45
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Healthcare Design - September 2024 - 48
Healthcare Design - September 2024 - Cover3
Healthcare Design - September 2024 - Cover4
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