Caring for the “Young Invincibles”

Excerpt

The term “young invincibles” has been used—most recently during the health care reform debates—to describe young adults and their perception that they are not at risk for poor health. The analysis of emergency department use by young adults over the last decade by Fortuna et al. in this issue1 challenges this invincibility. Using data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and the National Hospital Ambulatory Care Survey, Fortuna et al. found that one in five health care visits among young adults occur in the emergency room setting and that young adults disproportionately receive care for non-injury-related illnesses in the emergency department compared to both younger and older age groups. Most concerning is that rates of emergency department use over the last decade suggest a worsening of this trend. …