Seattle’s 2021 Heat Dome Associated with Excess Healthcare Utilization: New Research by Hess and Co-authors
Posted: 1/25/2024 (CSDE Research)
CSDE Affiliate Dr. Jeremy Hess (Emergency Medicine, Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, Global Health) co-authored research in JACEP Open, titled “Impacts of the 2021 heat dome on emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and health system operations in three hospitals in Seattle, Washington.” Extreme heat events (EHEs) are associated with excess healthcare utilization but specific impacts on emergency department (ED) operations and throughput are unknown. In 2021, the Pacific Northwest experienced an unprecedented heat dome that resulted in substantial regional morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to examine its impact on ED utilization, unplanned hospitalization, and hospital operations in a large academic healthcare system. The researchers found an increase in demand for emergency care and unplanned hospitalizations. They also found that EDs were more crowded and patients had longer ED lengths of stay during the heat dome, all of which highlight the need for capacity management in future EHEs.