Skip to main content

CDC Estimates 1.4 Million ED Visits/Year for Those Experiencing Homelessness

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on June 13, 2024.

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, June 12, 2024 -- During 2016 to 2021, an estimated 1.4 million emergency department visits were made per year among people experiencing homelessness, according to a study published online June 11 in the National Health Statistics Reports, a publication from the National Center for Health Statistics.

Susan M. Schappert and Loredana Santo, M.D., M.P.H., from the National Center for Health Statistics in Hyattsville, Maryland, describe emergency department visits by homeless status and sex using data from the 2016 to 2021 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey.

The researchers found that about 981,000 and 460,000 emergency department visits were made annually by males and females experiencing homelessness, respectively, during 2016 to 2021. For this population, significant differences by sex were seen for many emergency department visit characteristics, including arrival by ambulance, diagnoses, and chronic conditions. Significant differences were also seen for emergency department visits by males and females experiencing homelessness versus those not experiencing homelessness based on age, geographic region, expected source of payment, primary diagnosis, chronic conditions, and other characteristics.

"Visits by people younger than 18 years or older than 64 accounted for a larger percentage of visits among those not experiencing homelessness," the authors write. "Nearly one-half of emergency department visits by both males and females experiencing homelessness occurred in the West; this is consistent with other literature on people experiencing homelessness."

Abstract/Full Text

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Read this next

Persistent, New Mucus Plugs Associated With Faster Decline in FEV1 in COPD

WEDNESDAY, May 21, 2025 -- For patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), persistent and newly formed mucus plugs are associated with a faster decrease in forced...

Combinations of Chronic, Physical Illnesses Up the Risk of Subsequent Depression

WEDNESDAY, May 21, 2025 -- Certain groups of physical multimorbidity may be associated with a higher risk of subsequent depression, according to a study published online May 13...

Adding Team Therapist Reduces Burnout for Critical Care Nurses

TUESDAY, May 20, 2025 -- For nurses in critical care areas, adding a team therapist can reduce burnout and improve resilience, according to a study presented at the American...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.