Centralization of emergency hospital care is not associated with increased in-hospital mortality; a population-based cohort study

Background: We describe changes in the distance travelled, the utilization of emergency services, and the in-hospital mortality before and after the centralization of hospital emergency services in Denmark. Methods: All unplanned non-psychiatric hospital contacts from adults (aged ≥18 years) in 2008 and 2016 are included. Analyses are age-standardized and conducted at a municipality level. The municipalities are divided into groups according to the presence of emergency hospital services. Results: Municipalities where hospitals with emergency services have been closed differed by having the most significant increase in distance travelled from 2008 to 2016. All groups experienced a reduction in overall in-hospital mortality. The reduction in mortality was not present for acute myocardial infarct contacts from municipalities where hospitals with emergency services have been closed. Conclusion: Our data do not suggest that hospital closures, and thereby increased travel distance, have contributed significantly as a barrier to emergency-care access and changes to in-hospital mortality.