Examining the Relationship between Emergency Department Visits, Arrest, and Receipt of Medicaid Using Cross-Systems Data from Camden, New Jersey

• In Event: Threats to Life, Health, and Well-Being in the Justice System and Other Institutions

Abstract

A significant number of justice-involved individuals in the U.S. experience poor physical and mental health. These conditions are often coupled with poverty, and similar obstacles to adequate treatment. It is therefore likely that many utilize the emergency department (ED) to meet their healthcare needs in the community. Little research exists on this intersection, however, with few studies crossing ED and criminal justice data. The current study examined the relationship between ED utilization and arrest using hospital admission and police arrest data from Camden, NJ (2010-2014). First, linear regression was used to describe the relationship between number of ED visits and factors related to demographics, criminal justice, and health. Next, dual trajectory analysis identified groups with similar longitudinal patterns of both ED use and arrest behavior. Finally, trajectory analysis was applied to a subsample of people who began receiving Medicaid during the study period, to examine changes in ED utilization and arrest after acquiring insurance. These findings provide valuable information to practitioners and policymakers about factors associated with increased ED utilization, experiences common to ED-user and criminal justice populations, potential intervention points at which to interject services, and the impact of Medicare expansion on systems use for vulnerable groups.

Author

• Courtney S. Harding, Temple University