Advocates for Evidence-Based Health Policy Speakers
Author: Emergency Medicine Residents' Association
As emergency physicians, we care for all members of society, and as such have a unique vantage point on the state of health care. What we find frustrating in our EDs – such as inadequate social services, the dearth of primary care providers, and the lack of mental health services – are universal problems. As EM residents and fellows, we learn the management of myocardial infarctions and traumas, and how to intubate, but we are not taught how health policy affects all aspects of our experience in the ED. Furthermore, given our unique position in the health care system, we have an incredible opportunity to advocate for our patients, for society, and for physicians. Yet, with so many competing interests vying for our conference education time, advocacy is often not included in the curricula. This is the gap this initiative aims to fill. Each month, you will see a review of a new health policy article and how it is applicable to emergency physicians.
Striking a Balance Between Access and Cost
In the 1970s, the freestanding emergency department (FSED) emerged in rural areas to provide access to emergency care for residents living without a nearby acute care hospital. FSEDs offer emergency medical care at locations independent from hospitals. Growth in the Continue Reading …
“Everyone Else Ends up Paying the Price”
“When someone without health coverage gets urgent—often expensive—medical care but doesn’t pay the bill, everyone else ends up paying the price.” This quote reflects the idea that hospitals that provide high levels of uncompensated care to uninsured patients must defray Continue Reading …
ACA Increased Emergency Department Use
As the Affordable Care Act was being implemented, many politicians and health policy experts predicted a decline in ED use, as newly-insured patients would receive care from primary care providers instead of the ED, leading to more efficient and less Continue Reading …
Time to Join the War against High Drug Prices
The cost of prescription drugs in the U.S. is constantly in the news, with the public becoming aware of increasing prices for off-patent drugs from the obscure Daraprim (up almost 5500% overnight from $13.50 to $700 per capsule) to the Continue Reading …
EMRA + PolicyRx Journal Club
We’d like to announce our collaboration with the Emergency Medicine Residents Association to bring health policy literature reviews affecting the field of emergency medicine. Emergency physicians care for all members of society and as such have a unique vantage point Continue Reading …
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