The U.S. emergency infrastructure received a near failing grade from the American College of Emergency Physicians' latest "report card," which states that shortages and reduced hospital capacity make it more difficult to access emergency care.
Such reduced access earned the nation a "D+" down from the overall "C-" grade from the group's last report in 2009. Emergency rooms could be used even more than the data predicts as more Americans gain insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act.
The group's task force looked at scores of measure in five major categories - access to care, quality and patient safety, liability, injury prevention and disaster preparedness - and relied on data from the Centers for Disease Control and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, among others.
While the report does not measure the actual quality of care provided, it does offer a snapshot of national and state policies affecting emergency medicine as seen by providers. Kentucky is among the five states providing the worst emergency care. Read the full details here:
U.S. emergency care system gets "D+" in new report
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