Emergency room coverage: an evolving crisis.
Historically, a newly graduated plastic surgeon in the United States could build a practice from his or her emergency room coverage. The historical cliche was for the surgeon to be affable, able, and available, and from that basis one's practice would grow. Emergency room exposure was an avenue for starting a practice, developing recognition, and, after that, building a referral pattern. Recently, the cross-shifting influence of management care, rising malpractice insurance costs, and risk ratio are changing this cliche to a crisis. An evaluation of a 2 1/2-year exposure to emergency room coverage has revealed a completely different profile. A total of 300 patient visits resulting in 69 surgical operations were evaluated for insurance and remuneration history. The findings indicated a significant remuneration dilemma for emergency room coverage. Interestingly, a remuneration problem exists in a market different from what one would expect. In this study, a sample from a suburban hospital, rather than an inner-city university hospital, is the greater problem.
Department of Surgery, Division of Plastic Surgery, Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC 20007-2197, USA. spd2@gunet.georgetown.edu
Steven P
SP
Davison
D003363:Cost Control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004219:District of Columbia; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000191:economics*; D005251:Fees, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005382:Financing, Personal / Q000191:economics; D017721:Hospital Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006780:Hospitals, Rural / Q000191:economics; D006785:Hospitals, University / Q000191:economics; D006786:Hospitals, Urban / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D019458:Insurance Coverage / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007349:Insurance, Health, Reimbursement / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007351:Insurance, Liability / Q000191:economics; D007359:Insurance, Surgical / Q000191:economics*; D008329:Managed Care Programs / Q000191:economics*; D017057:Medically Uninsured / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000191:economics; D010350:Patient Credit and Collection / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000191:economics*; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000191:economics; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000191:economics / Q000601:surgery*