New information has been released in HCUP Fast Stats — Hurricane Impact on Hospital Use. This topic presents the percent change in population-based inpatient and emergency department (ED) utilization rates pre- versus post-hurricane for 11 U.S hurricanes between 2005 and 2017. Hospital utilization statistics are provided for all conditions and for injuries only, and for select age groups, based on county proximity to the hurricane. This information can be used to help understand medical care utilization during and after hurricanes and to assist in the preparation for and deployment of medical services in future natural disasters. The utilization counts and rates also are available for separate download. This work is supported by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Trust Fund (PCORTF), and created in collaboration with Office of The Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR).

In addition, AHRQ has released an update of the HCUP Fast Stats topic on State Trends in Hospital Use by Payer. This update adds 2017-2019 inpatient and 2017-2018 ED data for several States.