Friday, December 16, 2016

CT among highest states in opioid-related hospital visits but rising more slowly than most states

In 2014, Connecticut’s per capita rate of opioid-related ED visits was 37% higher than the national average and our inpatient visit rate was 28% higher according to a new report by AHRQ. While those rates grew between 2009 and 2014 in almost every state, Connecticut’s growth rates were among the lowest in the nation. Opioid-related ED visits per capita grew by 51% compared to the national average of 65.5% and our inpatient rates grew by 29%, very close to the national rate. Connecticut is joined by other northeastern states with high opioid-related hospital visit rates. Massachusetts had by far the highest ED rates in 2014 at two and a half times the national rate. Maryland topped the list for opioid-related inpatient stays.