November 2024 Utilization Report

Highlights: A widespread decrease is noted this month across all five of our focus utilization metrics: ambulatory surgeries have the deepest dip in volumes going from 10% over pre-COVID baseline to -2% below baseline in November. Emergency department visits present the second biggest drop in volumes going from -19% below baseline in October to -26% below baseline in November. Observation admissions show a similar decrease in volumes going from 8% over baseline in October to 0% in November, and acute care admissions declined going from -12% below baseline in October to -16% in November. Finally, psychiatric admissions decreased from -21% below baseline in October to -24% in November (see Fig. 1).

 

A downward shift in psychiatric admissions is noted this month after remaining below the median for six months consecutively as pictured in Fig. 2 below. This month involuntary admissions moved above the median for the reported time period following the downward trend noted over the past five months as depicted in Fig. 3 below.