Higher-priced emergency care was associated with lower mortality in hospital markets with less hospital concentration, but survival rates were similar for low- and high-priced hospitals in more concentrated markets, according to a working paper released last week from the nonprofit National Bureau of Economic Research, reports Health Care Dive.
The researchers determined that additional spending on quality improvements at expensive hospitals in unconcentrated markets is potentially cost-effective.
However, they found no evidence of better outcomes among patients admitted for emergency care to pricier hospitals in markets with less competition, despite substantially higher costs. “In these concentrated markets, high prices likely reflect patients’ lack of alternative options, not hospital quality,” the study said. Read more.
