Donate
Independent, objective, nonpartisan research
California Counts, Report · August 2008

Emergency Department Care in California: Who Uses It and Why?

Helen Lee and Shannon McConville

Californians make more than 10 million visits to hospital emergency departments annually. Many of these could be avoided with timely care from family physicians or outpatient clinics. This issue of California Counts presents a comprehensive portrait of emergency department care from several perspectives. Among its findings: The Central Valley and Los Angeles are home to some of the most crowded emergency departments in the state; patients with Medi-Cal coverage visit emergency departments more than do the uninsured; and Hispanics and Asians are less like to use emergency care than whites.

Topics

Health & Safety Net Population