Data Collection Efforts

Chapter Surveys

The Massachusetts and Pennsylvania chapters have surveyed their members about the crowding problem. The Indiana chapter surveyed a sampling of hospitals from various regions of the state.

State Data Collection Efforts

Massachusetts, Louisiana and Maryland rely on data collection performed by state agencies.  Maryland has the statewide diversion County Hospital Alert Tracking System (CHATS), which has been tracked for over 10 years and there is clear evidence that diversions have been increasing significantly. (See report on “Emergency Department Use in Maryland: A Profile of Users, Visits and Ambulance Diversion” available at: http://www.mhcc.state.md.us/health_care_expenditures/extramural/emergdept.pdf   

In Arizona, the chapter was an active participant in the rewriting of the state’s hospital rules in 2001. Hospitals are now required to report “outpatient data” to include ED visits, previously there was no such information. The state is also now tracking ED bed capacity in addition to inpatient beds.