Economics Professor working with Chinese Health Care Officials

A group of Chinese health care officials will attend a two-week training program from May 12-24 at the Fogelman College offered by the Methodist Le Bonheur Center for Healthcare Economics.

Dr. Cyril Chang (cchang@memphis.edu), Professor of Economics and Director of the Methodist Le Bonheur Center, and University of Memphis President Shirley Raines attended the formal signing ceremony for the agreement in Beijing last fall. The program at the University of Memphis is a part of a larger collaborative initiative called the China-Tennessee Rural Health Exchange between the State of Tennessee and the Peoples Republic of China begun by Governor Phil Bredesen.

The inaugural training program is jointly sponsored by the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development and the Chinese Ministry of Health and supported by the University of Memphis, Vanderbilt University, and East Tennessee State University. The Rural Healthcare Exchange is timely. Last fall, as Governor Bredesen met with officials from the Ministry of Health, Chinese President, Hu Jintao and the 17th Party Congress articulated a vision for development in rural Central and Western China. As China seeks a way to improve its healthcare infrastructure, Tennessee is positioned to define and promote its unique scope of services.

Understanding Non-Urgent Use of Hospitals’ Emergency Departments

In 2004, more than two million people visited the emergency departments of Tennessee hospitals.  According to researchers at the Fogelman College’s Center for Healthcare Economics, of those two million visits, more than half are estimated to have been non-urgent situations.

Excessive use of the emergency department for non-urgent care places financial and logistical burdens on hospitals.  It contributes to overcrowding, increased emergency wait times and potentially avoidable costs.  Some reports indicate that non-urgent use of emergency services also compromises patient safety, adversely affecting the ability of staff to provide timely response.

 Among the findings in a study presented by the Center for Healthcare Economics was that – among the different age groups – children under five years of age had the highest rate of non-urgent use at 66.9%.  Lower income patients were also found to be more likely use emergency department services, which is consistent with findings in other states such as New Jersey, Utah and Texas.

Of the total billable emergency charges in Tennessee, which amounted to more than $2 million, nearly half (46.1%) are estimated to be charges incurred by non-urgent visits.

Further research is needed into the reasons for non-urgent use, to allow hospitals and others to target causes.  Effective educational campaigns are needed to inform health care users of the resources available to them.

Research for this report was carried out at the Center for Healthcare Economics by Peter Miller (Research Associate of the Center) and Cyril Chang, the Center Director.

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