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Effects of Hurricanes on Emergency Department Utilization: An Analysis Across 7 US Storms

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 October 2020

Kevin C Heslin ,
Marguerite L Barrett ,
Molly Hensche ,
Gary Pickens Open the ORCID record for Gary Pickens [Opens in a new window] ,
Jeanne S Ringel ,
Zeynal Karaca  and
Pamela L Owens Open the ORCID record for Pamela L Owens [Opens in a new window]
Kevin C Heslin
Affiliation:
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, Maryland The George Washington University, Milken Institute School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, Washington D.C.
Marguerite L Barrett
Affiliation:
ML Barrett Inc, Del Mar, California
Molly Hensche
Affiliation:
IBM Watson Health, Santa Barbara, California
Gary Pickens
Affiliation:
IBM Watson Health, Santa Barbara, California
Jeanne S Ringel
Affiliation:
RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, California
Zeynal Karaca
Affiliation:
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, Maryland
Pamela L Owens*
Affiliation:
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, Maryland
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to to Pamela L. Owens, PhD, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 5600 Fishers Lane, Mail Stop Number 7W25B, Rockville, MD, 20857 (e-mail: Pam.Owens@ahrq.hhs.gov).
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Abstract

Objective:

Emergency departments (EDs) are critical sources of care after natural disasters such as hurricanes. Understanding the impact on ED utilization by subpopulation and proximity to the hurricane’s path can inform emergency preparedness planning. This study examines changes in ED utilization for residents of 344 counties after the occurrence of 7 US hurricanes between 2005 and 2016.

Methods:

This retrospective observational study used ED data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Inpatient Databases and State Emergency Department Databases. ED utilization rates for weeks during and after hurricanes were compared with pre-hurricane rates, stratified by the proximity of the patient county to the hurricane path, age, and disease category.

Results:

The overall population rate of weekly ED visits changed little post-hurricane, but rates by disease categories and age demonstrated varying results. Utilization rates for respiratory disorders exhibited the largest post-hurricane increase, particularly 2–3 weeks following the hurricane. The change in population rates by disease categories and age tended to be larger for people residing in counties closer to the hurricane path.

Conclusions:

Changes in ED utilization following hurricanes depend on disease categories, age, and proximity to the hurricane path. Emergency managers could incorporate these factors into their planning processes.

Keywords

disaster planningemergency servicehospitalhurricane
Type
Original Research
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 15 , Issue 6 , December 2021 , pp. 762 - 769
Copyright
Copyright © 2020 Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc.

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References

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