Heterogeneous spillover effects of emergency department crowding on patient outcomes
Rising patient demand and supply-side constraints mean that emergency departments are under ever increasing pressure internationally. Crowding has been shown to adversely affect waiting times, in addition to the quantity and quality of healthcare provided. However, the impact of crowding is likely to depend upon the complexity of attending patients in addition to patient volumes. It is often suggested that many emergency department attendances are avoidable and that these patients could have been more appropriately treated elsewhere. However, initiatives to reduce such avoidable attendances have largely failed to date.
Focusing on patients visiting emergency departments in England for avoidable and non-avoidable conditions, we explore two dimensions of heterogeneity in emergency department responses to crowding. We examine whether the care provided to non-avoidable patients is affected by unexpected changes in the volume of avoidable attendances, and whether the responses of emergency departments differ when capacity constraints are slack compared to binding.
Speaker
Dr Rachel Meacock (University of Manchester, UK)Rachel Meacock is interested in the evaluation of changes to the financing and organisation of health care. In particular, her work focuses on adapting the methods commonly used in the cost-effectiveness analysis of healthcare technologies, and applying these to large-scale programme evaluations. Rachel has particular experience of performing high-profile evaluations of the NHS' move towards seven day hospital services, and multiple pay-for-performance initiatives. Rachel was the first elected Chair of the European Health Economics Association (EuHEA) Early Career Committee, which aims to encourage and foster collaborative relationships between early career researchers across Europe, serving from 2017 - 2020. She currently serves as a member of the NIHR Health Services & Delivery Research (HS&DR) funding committee. Rachel also provides national leadership in Economics across the NIHR Applied Research Collaborations (ARCs). Rachel is Principal Investigator on a 3 year grant from the NIHR HS&DR programme aiming to understand the role of adult community health services in avoiding hospital admissions. |
|
CHE weekly seminar series
As part of the Centre for Health Economics’ vibrant research culture, we host a weekly seminar series. Visiting and invited researchers present current research relating to the economics of health and wellbeing, and the healthcare sector. Visitors are welcome to join these sessions where discussion and debate is encouraged. We aim to present all seminars in-person and also on Zoom.
Event Details
- Date:
- 23 November 2022 at 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
- Venue:
- Caulfield campus, Building H, Level 9, Room H921
- Categories:
- CHE Seminar; General; Health Economics
Description
Rising patient demand and supply-side constraints mean that emergency departments are under ever increasing pressure internationally. Crowding has been shown to adversely affect waiting times, in addition to the quantity and quality of healthcare provided. However, the impact of crowding is likely to depend upon the complexity of attending patients in addition to patient volumes. It is often suggested that many emergency department attendances are avoidable and that these patients could have been more appropriately treated elsewhere. However, initiatives to reduce such avoidable attendances have largely failed to date.
Focusing on patients visiting emergency departments in England for avoidable and non-avoidable conditions, we explore two dimensions of heterogeneity in emergency department responses to crowding. We examine whether the care provided to non-avoidable patients is affected by unexpected changes in the volume of avoidable attendances, and whether the responses of emergency departments differ when capacity constraints are slack compared to binding.
Speaker
Dr Rachel Meacock (University of Manchester, UK)Rachel Meacock is interested in the evaluation of changes to the financing and organisation of health care. In particular, her work focuses on adapting the methods commonly used in the cost-effectiveness analysis of healthcare technologies, and applying these to large-scale programme evaluations. Rachel has particular experience of performing high-profile evaluations of the NHS' move towards seven day hospital services, and multiple pay-for-performance initiatives. Rachel was the first elected Chair of the European Health Economics Association (EuHEA) Early Career Committee, which aims to encourage and foster collaborative relationships between early career researchers across Europe, serving from 2017 - 2020. She currently serves as a member of the NIHR Health Services & Delivery Research (HS&DR) funding committee. Rachel also provides national leadership in Economics across the NIHR Applied Research Collaborations (ARCs). Rachel is Principal Investigator on a 3 year grant from the NIHR HS&DR programme aiming to understand the role of adult community health services in avoiding hospital admissions. |
|
CHE weekly seminar series
As part of the Centre for Health Economics’ vibrant research culture, we host a weekly seminar series. Visiting and invited researchers present current research relating to the economics of health and wellbeing, and the healthcare sector. Visitors are welcome to join these sessions where discussion and debate is encouraged. We aim to present all seminars in-person and also on Zoom.