TY - JOUR
T1 - Increased hospital and emergency department utilization by individuals with recent criminal justice involvement
T2 - Results of a national survey
AU - Frank, Joseph W.
AU - Linder, Jeffrey A.
AU - Becker, William C.
AU - Fiellin, David A.
AU - Wang, Emily A.
N1 - Funding Information:
Funders: Dr. Frank was supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration through an institutional National Research Service Award (T32 HP10251). Dr. Becker is supported by a Veterans Health Administration Health Services Research & Development Career Development Award (08-276). Dr. Wang is supported by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (K23 HL103720).
PY - 2014/9
Y1 - 2014/9
N2 - BACKGROUND: Individuals involved with the criminal justice system have increased health needs and poor access to primary care. OBJECTIVE: To examine hospital and emergency department (ED) utilization and related costs by individuals with recent criminal justice involvement. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. PARTICIPANTS: Non-institutionalized, civilian U.S. adult participants (n=154,356) of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2008-2011). MAIN MEASURES: Estimated proportion of adults who reported past year 1) hospitalization or 2) ED utilization according to past year criminal justice involvement, defined as 1) parole or probation, 2) arrest without subsequent correctional supervision, or 3) no criminal justice involvement; estimated annual expenditures using unlinked data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. KEY RESULTS: An estimated 5.7 million adults reported parole or probation and an additional 3.9 million adults reported an arrest in the past year. Adults with recent parole or probation and those with a recent arrest, compared with the general population, had higher rates of hospitalization (12.3 %, 14.3 %, 10.5 %; P<0.001) and higher rates of ED utilization (39.3 %, 47.2 %, 26.9 %; P<0.001). Recent parole or probation was an independent predictor of hospitalization (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.21; 95 % confidence interval [CI], 1.02-1.44) and ED utilization (AOR, 1.35; 95 % CI, 1.12-1.63); Recent arrest was an independent predictor of hospitalization (AOR, 1.26; 95 % CI, 1.08-1.47) and ED utilization (AOR, 1.81; 95 % CI, 1.53-2.15). Individuals with recent criminal justice involvement make up 4.2 % of the U.S. adult population, yet account for an estimated 7.2 % of hospital expenditures and 8.5 % of ED expenditures. CONCLUSIONS: Recent criminal justice involvement is associated with increased hospital and ED utilization and costs. The criminal justice system may offer an important point of contact for efforts to improve the healthcare utilization patterns of a large and vulnerable population.
AB - BACKGROUND: Individuals involved with the criminal justice system have increased health needs and poor access to primary care. OBJECTIVE: To examine hospital and emergency department (ED) utilization and related costs by individuals with recent criminal justice involvement. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. PARTICIPANTS: Non-institutionalized, civilian U.S. adult participants (n=154,356) of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2008-2011). MAIN MEASURES: Estimated proportion of adults who reported past year 1) hospitalization or 2) ED utilization according to past year criminal justice involvement, defined as 1) parole or probation, 2) arrest without subsequent correctional supervision, or 3) no criminal justice involvement; estimated annual expenditures using unlinked data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. KEY RESULTS: An estimated 5.7 million adults reported parole or probation and an additional 3.9 million adults reported an arrest in the past year. Adults with recent parole or probation and those with a recent arrest, compared with the general population, had higher rates of hospitalization (12.3 %, 14.3 %, 10.5 %; P<0.001) and higher rates of ED utilization (39.3 %, 47.2 %, 26.9 %; P<0.001). Recent parole or probation was an independent predictor of hospitalization (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.21; 95 % confidence interval [CI], 1.02-1.44) and ED utilization (AOR, 1.35; 95 % CI, 1.12-1.63); Recent arrest was an independent predictor of hospitalization (AOR, 1.26; 95 % CI, 1.08-1.47) and ED utilization (AOR, 1.81; 95 % CI, 1.53-2.15). Individuals with recent criminal justice involvement make up 4.2 % of the U.S. adult population, yet account for an estimated 7.2 % of hospital expenditures and 8.5 % of ED expenditures. CONCLUSIONS: Recent criminal justice involvement is associated with increased hospital and ED utilization and costs. The criminal justice system may offer an important point of contact for efforts to improve the healthcare utilization patterns of a large and vulnerable population.
KW - emergency medicine
KW - health care costs
KW - hospital medicine
KW - vulnerable populations
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U2 - 10.1007/s11606-014-2877-y
DO - 10.1007/s11606-014-2877-y
M3 - Article
C2 - 24817280
AN - SCOPUS:84906933826
SN - 0884-8734
VL - 29
SP - 1226
EP - 1233
JO - Journal of General Internal Medicine
JF - Journal of General Internal Medicine
IS - 9
ER -
