The Financial Impact of Ambulance Diversions and Patient Elopements

• Published in: Academic emergency medicine 2007-01, Vol.14 (1), p.58-62
• Main Authors: Falvo, Thomas, Grove, Lance, Stachura, Ruth, Zirkin, William
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: ambulance diversion; capacity; elopement; emergency medicine; left without treatment; revenue
• ISSN: 1069-6563; 1553-2712
• DOI: 10.1197/j.aem.2006.06.056

Objectives Admission process delays and other throughput inefficiencies are a leading cause of emergency department (ED) overcrowding, ambulance diversion, and patient elopements. Hospital capacity constraints reduce the number of treatment beds available to provide revenue‐generating patient services. The objective of this study was to develop a practical method for quantifying the revenues that are potentially lost as a result of patient elopements and ambulance diversion. Methods Historical data from 62,588 patient visits to the ED of a 450‐bed nonprofit community teaching hospital in central Pennsylvania between July 2004 and June 2005 were used to estimate the value of potential patient visits foregone as a result of ambulance diversion and patients leaving the ED without treatment. Results The study hospital may have lost $3,881,506 in net revenue as a result of ambulance diversions and patient elopements from the ED during a 12‐month period. Conclusions Significant revenue may be foregone as a result of throughput delays that prevent the ED from utilizing its existing bed capacity for additional patient visits.