Researchers conducted a survey of119 hospitals in Tennessee with both an operating room and emergency room. They found 58 percent of the hospitals offered at least basic emergency coverage for hand injuries, but 42 percent offered no emergency coverage for these injuries. Only 7 percent had hand specialists on call at all hours.
The study also reported an increased private insurance payor mix in hospitals with hand specialists on call 24 hours, and hospitals with more than four hand surgeons had a 67 percent greater chance of having someone on call 24 hours.
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