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Activity and the incidence of emergencies: Evidence from daily data at the onset of a pandemic

Author

Listed:
  • Jorge Alé-Chilet

    (Bar-Ilan University)

  • Juan Pablo Atal

    (University of Pennsylvania)

  • Patricio Domínguez

    (Inter-American Development Bank)

Abstract

This study examines the e?ect of social and economic activity on emergency room care utilization. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic emergency non-respiratory visits dramatically dropped in many countries around the globe. Using daily level data of all public healthcare facilities in Chile with novel mobility data we show that the crisis-induced changes in mobility patterns explain a large portion of the 50 per-cent drop in non-respiratory emergency room visits in the country. Our results reveal that an important reason for the dramatic drop in non-COVID-19 utilization of emer-gency care is the lower incidence of emergencies. We also provide evidence that the lower emergency department utilization did not cause higher mortality. These results suggest that measures restricting mobility during a public health crisis may have the unexpected benefit for public health of freeing up healthcare resources.

Suggested Citation

  • Jorge Alé-Chilet & Juan Pablo Atal & Patricio Domínguez, 2020. "Activity and the incidence of emergencies: Evidence from daily data at the onset of a pandemic," PIER Working Paper Archive 20-016, Penn Institute for Economic Research, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania.
    • Handle: RePEc:pen:papers:20-016
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    File URL: https://economics.sas.upenn.edu/system/files/working-papers/20-016%20PIER%20Paper%20Submission.pdf
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    Citations

    RePEc Biblio mentions

    As found on the RePEc Biblio, the curated bibliography for Economics:
    1. > Economics of Welfare > Health Economics > Economics of Pandemics > Specific pandemics > Covid-19 > Health > Distancing and Lockdown > Effect on Health

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    Cited by:

    1. Ge Bai & Daniel Jiménez & Phillip Phan & Luis E. Quintero & Alessandro Rebucci & Xian Sun, 2021. "The Financial Fragility of For-profit Hospitals: Evidence from the COVID-19 Pandemic," NBER Working Papers 29388, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Abel Brodeur & David Gray & Anik Islam & Suraiya Bhuiyan, 2021. "A literature review of the economics of COVID‐19," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(4), pages 1007-1044, September.
    3. Cho, Hyunkuk & Kwon, Jihyeon, 2021. "Pandemic and hospital avoidance: Evidence from the 2015 Middle East respiratory syndrome outbreak in South Korea," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 203(C).
    4. Heather Kolakowski & Mardelle McCuskey Shepley & Ellie Valenzuela-Mendoza & Nicolas R. Ziebarth, 2021. "How the COVID-19 Pandemic Will Change Workplaces, Healthcare Markets and Healthy Living: An Overview and Assessment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-19, September.
    5. Ben Balmford & James D. Annan & Julia C. Hargreaves & Marina Altoè & Ian J. Bateman, 2020. "Cross-Country Comparisons of Covid-19: Policy, Politics and the Price of Life," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 76(4), pages 525-551, August.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Health Care; Emergencies; Mobility;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I11 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Analysis of Health Care Markets
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • I15 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Economic Development

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