Emergency room visits by seniors rising: study

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The rate of visits to U.S. hospitalemergency rooms by senior citizens grew faster than that of anyother age group between 1993 and 2003, straining the country'salready overcrowded emergency care system, according to a studypublished on Wednesday.
The research from George Washington University also foundthe rate of emergency room visits by older blacks was rising atan alarming rate.
The reasons behind seniors' accelerated visit rates werenot immediately clear.
Researchers said the trend could have been driven byhealth-care advances that have resulted in people living longerwith chronic medical issues. It could also have been related todifficulty finding timely primary care, they said.
"Seniors are using the emergency department more and morefrequently, and given the needs of this population and thenature of their medical problems, the current state ofovercrowding is likely to continue to escalate dramatically,"said Dr. Mary Pat McKay, a study co-author from the GeorgeWashington University Medical Center in Washington.
The researchers, who published their findings in the Annalsof Emergency Medicine, said a review of hospital data from 1993to 2003 showed a 34 percent increase in emergency room visitsby people aged 65 to 74.
By comparison, there was little change in visit rates amongpeople younger than the age of 21 from 1993 to 2003. The rateof visits was up 19 percent for individuals aged 22 to 49 and16 percent for people aged 50 to 64.
The authors said seniors' additional emergency room visitsdid not appear to be driven by frivolous complaints.
McKay said she was surprised the data showed a widening gapbetween the rates of black and white seniors seeking emergencycare.
Emergency visits by black people aged 65 to 74 rose by thegreatest rate, nearly doubling during the 11-year study periodto 77 visits per 100 persons. In comparison, the visit rateamong whites of the same age group was up 26 percent to 36visits per 100 persons.
"That there is a racial disparity didn't surprise me. Whatsurprised me is that it's getting worse," she said.
The study's authors said more research was needed topinpoint the reasons driving the differences.
They said the higher prevalence of diabetes andhypertension in the black community may be a factor.
They also noted that nearly twice as many young blacks lackhealth insurance -- a problem that worsens among the poor.
People who were uninsured before becoming eligible for theU.S. government's Medicare health coverage at age 65 are morelikely to have serious health problems if they could not affordto get needed care for chronic illnesses.
Whatever the cause, the study's authors estimated thatvisits by people aged 65 to 74 could nearly double to 11.7million by 2013 from 6.4 million in 2003 if the trend inemergency room visit rates continues.
"The system is broken and the point of the study is thatit's going to get worse," said McKay.
(Editing by Peter Cooney)