TY - JOUR
T1 - National trends in emergency conditions through the Omicron COVID-19 wave in commercial and Medicare Advantage enrollees
AU - Stevens, Maria A.
AU - Melnick, Edward R.
AU - Savitz, Samuel T.
AU - Jeffery, Molly Moore
AU - Nath, Bidisha
AU - Janke, Alexander T.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Authors. JACEP Open published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American College of Emergency Physicians.
PY - 2023/8
Y1 - 2023/8
N2 - Objective: To evaluate trends in emergency care sensitive conditions (ECSCs) from pre-COVID (March 2018–February 2020) through Omicron (December 2021–February 2022). Methods: This cross-sectional analysis evaluated trends in ECSCs using claims (OptumLabs Data Warehouse) from commercial and Medicare Advantage enrollees. Emergency department (ED) visits for ECSCs (acute appendicitis, aortic aneurysm/dissection, cardiac arrest/severe arrhythmia, cerebral infarction, myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism, opioid overdose, pre-eclampsia) were reported per 100,000 person months from March 2018 to February 2022 by pandemic wave. We calculated the percent change for each pandemic wave compared to the pre-pandemic period. Results: There were 10,268,554 ED visits (March 2018−February 2022). The greatest increases in ECSCs were seen for pulmonary embolism, cardiac arrest/severe arrhythmia, myocardial infarction, and pre-eclampsia. For commercial enrollees, pulmonary embolism visit rates increased 22.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 18.6%–26.9%) during Waves 2−3, 37.2% (95% CI, 29.1%–45.8%] during Delta, and 27.9% (95% CI, 20.3%–36.1%) during Omicron, relative to pre-pandemic rates. Cardiac arrest/severe arrhythmia visit rates increased 4.0% (95% CI, 0.2%–8.0%) during Waves 2−3; myocardial infarction rates increased 4.9% (95% CI, 2.1%–7.8%) during Waves 2−3. Similar patterns were seen in Medicare Advantage enrollees. Pre-eclampsia visit rates among reproductive-age female enrollees increased 31.1% (95% CI, 20.9%–42.2%), 23.7% (95% CI, 7.5%,–42.3%), and 34.7% (95% CI, 16.8%–55.2%) during Waves 2−3, Delta, and Omicron, respectively. ED visits for other ECSCs declined or exhibited smaller increases. Conclusions: ED visit rates for acute cardiovascular conditions, pulmonary embolism and pre-eclampsia increased despite declines or stable rates for all-cause ED visits and ED visits for other conditions. Given the changing landscape of ECSCs, studies should identify drivers for these changes and interventions to mitigate them.
AB - Objective: To evaluate trends in emergency care sensitive conditions (ECSCs) from pre-COVID (March 2018–February 2020) through Omicron (December 2021–February 2022). Methods: This cross-sectional analysis evaluated trends in ECSCs using claims (OptumLabs Data Warehouse) from commercial and Medicare Advantage enrollees. Emergency department (ED) visits for ECSCs (acute appendicitis, aortic aneurysm/dissection, cardiac arrest/severe arrhythmia, cerebral infarction, myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism, opioid overdose, pre-eclampsia) were reported per 100,000 person months from March 2018 to February 2022 by pandemic wave. We calculated the percent change for each pandemic wave compared to the pre-pandemic period. Results: There were 10,268,554 ED visits (March 2018−February 2022). The greatest increases in ECSCs were seen for pulmonary embolism, cardiac arrest/severe arrhythmia, myocardial infarction, and pre-eclampsia. For commercial enrollees, pulmonary embolism visit rates increased 22.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 18.6%–26.9%) during Waves 2−3, 37.2% (95% CI, 29.1%–45.8%] during Delta, and 27.9% (95% CI, 20.3%–36.1%) during Omicron, relative to pre-pandemic rates. Cardiac arrest/severe arrhythmia visit rates increased 4.0% (95% CI, 0.2%–8.0%) during Waves 2−3; myocardial infarction rates increased 4.9% (95% CI, 2.1%–7.8%) during Waves 2−3. Similar patterns were seen in Medicare Advantage enrollees. Pre-eclampsia visit rates among reproductive-age female enrollees increased 31.1% (95% CI, 20.9%–42.2%), 23.7% (95% CI, 7.5%,–42.3%), and 34.7% (95% CI, 16.8%–55.2%) during Waves 2−3, Delta, and Omicron, respectively. ED visits for other ECSCs declined or exhibited smaller increases. Conclusions: ED visit rates for acute cardiovascular conditions, pulmonary embolism and pre-eclampsia increased despite declines or stable rates for all-cause ED visits and ED visits for other conditions. Given the changing landscape of ECSCs, studies should identify drivers for these changes and interventions to mitigate them.
KW - COVID-19
KW - emergency care sensitive conditions
KW - opioid overrdose
KW - opioid use disorder
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U2 - 10.1002/emp2.13023
DO - 10.1002/emp2.13023
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85167916459
SN - 2688-1152
VL - 4
JO - JACEP Open
JF - JACEP Open
IS - 4
M1 - e13023
ER -