Date of Conferral

2022

Degree

Doctor of Healthcare Administration (D.H.A.)

School

Public Health

Advisor

Matt Frederiksen

Abstract

Emergency departments (EDs) are experiencing an influx of patients with opioid-related which result in increased opioid misuse, abuse, and overdoses. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between opioid-related ED visits and financial liability of hospitals by evaluating if an increase in opioid-related ED visits leads to an increase in average ED visit costs. The framework used for this study was Reason’s theory of failures, which involves improving healthcare maturity in terms of risk management, achieved through enhanced efficiency. The analyzed research questions included analysis between the number of opioid-related ED visits and financial liability of hospitals in the US, an analysis of the correlation between hospital location and hospital bed capacity and the number of opioid related ED visits, and aggregate visit cost. Secondary data for this quantitative study came from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample and Nationwide Emergency Department Sample databases contained in the United States Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project. Data analysis included a correlational analysis and regression model to examine the relationship the variables. Results indicated that there was a weak positive relationship between total average charges for ED visits and total number of opioid-related ED visits and the relationship did not change when evaluating the hospital bed capacity and the hospital location. Recommendations to healthcare administrators are to develop enhanced data sharing among healthcare facilities to improve detection and response of ED spikes to help care for opioid-related cases, which will lead to better patient outcomes and reduced costs, demonstrating positive social change with better care and reduced costs.

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