Thomas Jefferson University Hospital’s Rate of Admissions from the Emergency Department is 34% Lower than the State’s Rate
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By: Emily Carpintero Dec. 21, 2017
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania had a lower rate of inpatients admitted from the emergency department (ED) than the state and nation by 34.54% and 33.45%, respectively, according to Dexur’s recent analysis of CMS claims data from January through December 2016. Dexur identified total discharges, discharges with the ED as a source of admission for each hospital category, and then compared the rates to the state and nation. This metric is important to healthcare professionals because quality of care in the emergency department, considering the urgent workflow of the department, is often reviewed for potential improvements. It may also be indicative of a patient population’s approach to health; this particular patient population may go to primary care visits more often than others. Below is a graph showing the rate of discharges from ED admissions in several common hospital categories.
Percentage of Inpatient Admissions from the ED
for 6 Categories at the Hospital, State & National Level
Looking at the Dexur data below, the three highest volume hospital divisions were orthopedic, cardiovascular, and neurology; each division had a significantly lower percentage of admissions of Medicare inpatients from the emergency department compared to the state and national averages. Only 15.56% of the orthopedic division’s discharges were admitted via the emergency department; this was roughly 22% less than the state and national orthopedic averages. The cardiovascular division had 38.8% of their discharges admitted via the ED; this was 33.62% less than the state average and 31.42% less than the national average. The hospital’s neurology division’s discharges had 22.78% of their admissions via the ED; this was less than the state and national averages by 39.89% and 44.81%, respectively.
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital was one of the top five highest volume discharging hospitals in Pennsylvania, according to relevant Dexur data. The hospital is distinguished in 11 specialties, of which include orthopedic, cardiovascular and neurology patient care. Their orthopedic program is one of the largest in the Delaware Valley region and includes top practicing physicians from Rothman Institute. Several physicians practicing in the neurology division have been recognized by the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. The hospital’s cardiovascular department was named a Top Hospital for Heart by Philadelphia magazine. Thomas Jefferson University Hospital’s outstanding performance in specialty services suggests that patients may initially admit themselves into a specific department for treatment, rather than encountering unforeseen conditions where they must be admitted via the emergency department.
| Category | Total Hospital Discharges | Hospital % of Dischargefrom ED as the Source of Admission | State % of Discharge from ED as the Source of Admission | National % of Discharge from ED as the Source of Admission |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All-Inpatient | 12,921 | 32.06% | 66.61% | 65.51% |
| Orthopedics | 1,832 | 15.56% | 37.48% | 37.22% |
| Cardiovascular | 1,621 | 38.8% | 72.42% | 70.22% |
| Neurology | 1,317 | 22.78% | 62.67% | 67.59% |
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- Percentage of discharges from the ED for all categories at the hospital, state and national level
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