According to recent information report Hospital Emergency Department (ED) discharge data from the California Institute of Public Policy can provide useful information about people experiencing homelessness statewide.
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According to the report, hospital discharge data captures a significant portion of California’s unhoused population, and the state requires hospitals to connect unhoused individuals to housing, case management, and behavioral health services. should provide sufficient resources for
In 2019, non-hospitalized patients performed approximately 370,000 ED visits, accounting for approximately 4% of all ED visits by adults under 65 years of age.
According to this 2019 data, the report states that the majority of ED visits by unaccompanied patients are covered by Medi-Cal. The chart below shows the percentage of uninsured ED patients compared to inmates who are covered by Medi-Cal, Medicare, private insurance, or no insurance.
Image: California Institute of Public Policy
Approximately 80% of unhoused ED outpatients were covered by Medi-Cal or Medicare, and approximately 90% of unhoused ED inpatients were covered by one of these programs.
Hospitals in the Bay Area and Los Angeles area report higher rates of ED visits by unaccompanied patients compared to total ED visits. The chart below shows the percentage of ED visits by unhoused patients compared to the total of her ED visits in various areas of the state.
Image: California Institute of Public Policy
In terms of physical health, non-hospitalized ED patients were more likely to be diagnosed with liver disease, hepatitis, COPD, and hypertension than hospitalized ED patients. Shows health conditions diagnosed in non-housing patients.
Image: California Institute of Public Policy
Behavioral health conditions are also particularly common in unincarcerated ED patients, with nearly 40% of ED visits involving unincarcerated patients leading to mental health examinations and 30% to drug-related diagnoses. I was. The chart below shows the percentage of emergency department visits where patients received specific behavioral health exams.
Image: California Institute of Public Policy
Schizophrenia and mood disorders were the most commonly diagnosed mental health conditions among non-hospitalized patients.
The report’s authors recommend linking hospital ED data with data from other social programs and supports. This will enable organizations to better identify and quickly intervene at-risk individuals who have experienced or are currently experiencing homelessness.
“By correlating the newly available HDIS data with hospital discharge data, we are able to close a critical gap in understanding those who participate in local homeless assistance programs and those who do not,” they report. “Further links to other state government data, such as Medi-Cal billing data, specialized mental health services, and social services data such as CalFresh and SSI (Supplemental Security Income), are available at Homeless Services. It will go a long way in supporting research on interventions and funding for
