Effects of rural hospital closures on nurse staffing levels and health care utilization at nearby hospitals.
Health Econ
; 33(12): 2687-2707, 2024 Dec.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-39123314
ABSTRACT
Our study examines the causal effect of rural hospital closures on nearby hospitals' nurse staffing levels and health care utilization. We use data from the 2014-2019 American Hospital Association Survey on nurse staffing level outcomes including licensed practical or vocational nurses (LPNs), registered nurses (RNs), and advanced practice nurses (APNs); and health care utilization outcomes, including inpatient and outpatient surgical operations and emergency department (ED) visits. Using propensity score matching and difference-in-differences (DID) methods, we find that rural hospital closures lead to an average increase of 37.3% in the number of nurses in nearby rural hospitals during the 4 years following the closure. This increase is found across all categories of nurses, including LPNs, RNs, and APNs. We also find a substantial increase in the provision of inpatient and outpatient surgical operations but there is no change in ED visits. We do not find any effects for nearby urban hospitals. Our study suggests that a large proportion of the nursing workforce relocates to nearby hospitals after a rural hospital closure, which mitigates the negative consequences of such closures and allows these nearby hospitals to provide a larger volume of highly profitable services.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Hospitales Rurales
/
Clausura de las Instituciones de Salud
/
Personal de Enfermería en Hospital
Límite:
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
País/Región como asunto:
America do norte
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Health Econ
Asunto de la revista:
SERVICOS DE SAUDE
Año:
2024
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Estados Unidos
Pais de publicación:
Reino Unido