Study: ‘Almost quarter of emergency admissions avoidable’

Almost a quarter of emergency department (ED) admissions could be potentially avoided in a better functioning health system, according to a new study indicating that some of those admissions are driven by deprivation, hospital practices, and health insurance coverage.

The new research, entitled ‘Drivers of potentially avoidable emergency admissions in Ireland: an ecological analysis’, and published in the BMJ Quality and Safety journal, estimates that 22% of ED admissions are avoidable.