Changes in emergency department access between 2001 and 2005 among general and vulnerable populations.

Abstract

Key findings: (1) 11.4 million people faced some degree of deterioration in geographic access to emergency care between 2001 and 2005. (2) Residents in rural communities have poorer access to emergency depart­ments at baseline and experienced a greater decline in emergency depart­ment access than those living in urban communities between 2001 and 2005. (3) Deteriorating access to emergency departments is more likely to occur in communities with economic hard­ship and high shares of Hispanic populations, as well as in rural areas that are part of a designated health professional shortage area.