Emergency Rooms Often the 'Safety Net' Care for People With Schizophrenia

News
#1

Men are twice as likely as women to go to the emergency department due to schizophrenia.

A new report finds that, too often, under-medicated Americans suffering from schizophrenia end up seeking care in the nation’s hospital emergency rooms.

The report, issued Wednesday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, found that between 2009 and 2011, over 382,000 visits to ERs were recorded for people aged 18 to 64 with schizophrenia.

Many of these cases involved people on Medicaid who were either homeless or living in places such as nursing homes or group homes, the researchers said.

Emergency departments “may serve as a safety net for schizophrenic patients not otherwise receiving care,” said Dr. Michael Albert and Linda McCaig, both of whom work at the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).

Source:

More Information / Full Report:

Emergency Department Visits related to Schizophrenia among Adults Aged 18-64: United States, 2009-2011

KEY TOPICS: health care utilization, emergency room visits, mental illness
DATA SOURCES: National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey

#2

And it costs the taxpayers a ton when really better access to Crisis centers, on call nurses and a trusted friend would work wonders.

1 Like
#3

*People are told to go there if there is a crisis, but the hospitals–at least here–charge a fortune , hold the person for a few hours, and let them go. They are NOT treating, and the doctors won`t see them unless they come on their own. I would gladly pay more taxes if they were getting some care!
What crisis centers? What can nurses do?
Just feck it!

#4

**Who do you trust when you are paranoid?
We are paying taxes and our people are NOT GETING TREATED! :angry: **