Emergency department utilization and disposition outcomes by pediatric patients with cancer in Maryland and New York from 2013 to 2017

Abstract Background Pediatric patients with cancer commonly seek emergency department (ED) care, yet there is limited evidence on ED utilization patterns and disposition outcomes among these patients. Methods Retrospective analysis of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Emergency Department Databases and State Inpatient Databases for Maryland and New York from 2013 to 2017. We compared ED visits and disposition outcomes for 5.8 million pediatric patients (<18 years old) with and without cancer, and used multivariable regressions to estimate associations between the number of ED visits, hospital (inpatient) admissions through the ED, and ED or inpatient mortality and sociodemographic and clinical factors within the cancer cohort. Results Pediatric patients with cancer had more ED visits per year on average (2.4 vs. 1.5, p < .001), higher shares of admissions (56.8% vs. 6.6%, p < .001) and mortality (1.2% vs. 0.1%, p < .001) compared to those without cancer. Among patients with cancer, uninsured pediatric patients had fewer ED visits and lower risk of admission to a hospital through the ED compared to those with Medicaid coverage (total visits: incidence rate ratio [IRR]: 0.82, 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 0.75–0.90; admission: IRR: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.65–0.86). Mortality risks were higher for pediatric patients with cancer residing in areas with the lowest median household income, and with no health insurance coverage (IRR: 2.81, 95% CI: 1.21–6.51) compared to Medicaid. Conclusions Our findings emphasize the importance of enhancing health insurance coverage policies and social services for pediatric patients with cancer and their families to address clinical and nonclinical needs.