title: Distinctive emergency department usage for injury for workers' compensation cases in Utah in 1996.
abstract: To compare emergency department services paid by worker's compensation (WC) with services paid by other payers, a state database of 72,747 emergency department visits for injured adults (ages 21 to 54) in 1996 in Utah was analyzed. WC visits accounted for 21.6% (15,704) of all adult injury visits. The mean emergency department charge for WC visits was $282, and the admission rate was 17 per 1000 visits. The mean charge for other payers was $334, and the admission rate was 43 per 1000 visits. Differences were also found between these groups for Injury Severity Scores and diagnoses. In summary, WC emergency department usage was associated with less severe injuries than was emergency department usage for other payers in Utah in 1996.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA.
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Leonard
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Suruda
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Cook
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Reading
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mobasher
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Dean
mesh_terms: D000062:Accidents, Occupational / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000328:Adult; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D007345:Insurance Claim Review / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014589:Utah; D014942:Workers' Compensation / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology*