The impact of emergency care units on mortality: evidence from Rio de Janeiro

Abstract

This article evaluates the effects of emergency medical care units (UPA) 24h on mortality in municipalities of the state of Rio de Janeiro between 2000 through 2011. We estimate a panel data model at the municipality-by-month level to identify the impacts of UPA on mortality rates by municipality of residence, location and cause of death. We find that UPA has negative but statistically insignificant effects on the overall mortality rate. When we further characterize these effects by location and cause of death, we observe a significant reduction in the mortality rates of death occurred in hospitals (-16%), in the streets (-27%), but an increase in the number of deaths at other health facilities, such as UPA. This suggests a spatial reallocation of deaths across location of occurrence. When we further examine the UPA’s impacts on mortality rates in hospitals, we find negative effects on deaths caused by circulatory and endocrine diseases, as well as by external causes.