Asthma-Driven Emergency Department Visit Rates

Combining the asthma prevalence and ED visit data illustrates the large disparity in the ability to manage the chronic condition among the Focus Area population. While adults in the Focus Area* are more likely to have asthma compared to adults elsewhere in Rochester, the Focus Area’s much higher ED visit rate can’t be explained by prevalence alone. The other major factor is that Focus Area residents with asthma are much more likely to need and seek ED care because of their asthma. The number of asthma-driven ED visits per adult with asthma is 2.8 times higher in the Focus Area compared to the rest of the city – 36.0 vs. 12.9 visits per 100 people with asthma. * The Focus Area is a large section of Rochester with particularly high concentrations of blacks, Latinos, and also poverty.