Latest KFF Health News Stories
How Long You Stay On Opioids May Depend On The Doctor You See In the ER
A study shows some emergency physicians wrote far more opioid prescriptions and Medicare patients who saw those doctors were more likely to still be taking the addictive painkillers months later.
After-Hours ER Care May Come With A Doctor’s Surcharge
Patients sometimes find an additional charge, generally between $30 and $200, tacked onto their bill for visiting a hospital emergency room between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m.
Helping Ex-Inmates Stay Out Of The ER Brings Multiple Benefits
Each year, millions of Americans leave jail and prison. When they do, they’re likely to have a hard time managing their health. Some clinics are trying to provide ex-inmates with better, cheaper care.
Clinics Help Keep People With Serious Mental Illness Out Of ER
Providing regular care at a Texas clinic prevents patients from cycling back to the hospital in a psychiatric crisis.
Study Finds Nearby Retail Clinics Don’t Drive Down ER Visits
The results suggest that retail clinics may not provide a solution for reducing unnecessary emergency department visits, researchers say.
Community Paramedics Work To Link Patients With Mental Health Care
Training these first responders to identify people who are suffering from mental illness and connect them with treatment other than the emergency room could be part of the solution to gaps in the nation’s mental health system.
Study: ‘Ubiquitous’ Nature Of Painkillers Lands Kids — Even Toddlers — In The ER
New research tracks how the widespread availability of these high-powered medications is causing a high rate of hospitalizations for opioid poisoning among children.
Niños pequeños terminan en emergencias médicas por consumo de opioides y analgésicos
Un nuevo estudio destaca a un grupo de pacientes soprendente, que sufre de intoxicación por opioides en tasas que también han marcado un aumento dramático: adolescentes, niños e incluso niños pequeños.
Will A Study Save Victims Of Violence Or Gamble With Their Lives?
A major study in Philadelphia will look at whether it is better for people with gunshot or stab wounds to get basic care from paramedics or more advanced care before going to the hospital, as most do now.
Emergency Room Use Stayed High In Oregon Medicaid Study
A new study on Oregon’s famed Medicaid experiment eight years ago shows no decline in emergency room care even after two years of coverage.
Scarcity Of Mental Health Care Means Patients — Especially Kids — Land In ER
Research released by the American College of Emergency Physicians highlights how gaps in mental health care play out in the emergency room with longer stays and difficulties in securing follow-up care.
Better Training, Tourniquets And Techniques Since 9/11 Are Saving Lives
U.S. trauma care experts are increasingly focusing on ways to help civilian victims of violence — whether the incidents were mass shootings or bad car accidents — avoid bleeding to death at the scene.
Geriatric ERs Reduce Stress, Medical Risks For Elderly Patients
Overcrowding and chaos in traditional emergency rooms can harm seniors’ health. That’s prompting some hospitals to open ERs designed specifically for the elderly.
The Costs Of The Pulse Nightclub Shooting
Mario Perez was grazed by a bullet at the Pulse Nightclub. His bill from Orlando Regional Medical Center’s emergency department was $20,000.
Study Promotes Battlefields’ Lessons To Advance National Trauma Care
A report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine calls for the White House to lead a national strategy to promote and continue advances in trauma care.
Shortages Of Essential Emergency Care Drugs Increase, Study Finds
The problems persist even after Congress in 2012 gave the FDA enhanced powers to respond when drug levels are low.
Back From The Brink, A Rural Texas Hospital Shines
One family’s tragedy inspired a radical change at a struggling rural hospital in Texas.
Retail Clinics Add Convenience But Also Hike Costs, Study Finds
Researchers say the clinics tucked in stores and pharmacies lead patients to seek more medical attention than they otherwise would for minor ailments.
Can’t Get In To See Your Doctor? Many Patients Turn To Urgent Care
A recent poll shows 27 percent of Americans have visited an urgent care center in the past two years. Why? Most cite convenience.
Slowing Down The ER To Improve Care For Patients With Autism
A small but growing number of hospital emergency rooms are taking steps to improve quality of care for patients with autism while also adding efficiency and cost effectiveness.
