NBER Working Papers by Renee Y. Hsia

We analyze whether decreased emergency department access (measured by increased driving time to the nearest ED) results in adverse patient outcomes or changes in the patient health profile for patients suffering from acute myocardial infarction. Data sources include 100% Medicare Provider Analysis and Review, AHA hospital annual surveys, Medicare hospital cost reports, and longitude and latitude information for 1995-2005. We define four ED access change categories and estimate a zip codes fixed-effects regression models on the following AMI outcomes: time-specific mortality rates, age, and probability of PTCA on the day of admission. We find a small increase in 30-day to 1-year mortality rates among patients in communities that experience <10-minute increase in driving time. Among patie...