Emergency Department Utilization by Children in the USA, 2010–2011

Introduction: Epidemiological surveillance data for emergency department (ED) visits by children are imperative to guide resource allocation and to develop health policies that advance pediatric emergency care. However, there are sparse population-based data on patient-level information (e.g., the number of children who present to the emergency department [ED]). In this context, we aimed to investigate both the patient- and visit-level rates of ED utilization by children. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study using population-based multipayer data – state ED databases (SEDD) and state inpatient databases (SID) – from six geographically-dispersed U.S. states (California, Florida, Iowa, Nebraska, New York, and Utah) in 2010 and 2011. We identified all children aged