中文摘要
本文估计了医院拥挤对医疗处置决策和患者健康结果的影响。利用急诊入院中的伪随机变异，我发现一个标准差的入院冲击使非计划再入院率上升4.1%。非参数分析与异质性分析表明，"更快也更虚弱"（quicker and sicker）式的出院是造成额外再入院的原因之一。在床位较少、患者病情更重、收治非急诊患者激励更强的医院科室，拥挤的影响更大。（JEL H51, I11, I12, I18）
Abstract
This paper estimates the impact of hospital crowding on medical treatment decisions and patient health outcomes. Exploiting pseudorandom variation in emergency admissions, I find that a one-standard-deviation admission shock increases the unplanned readmission rate by 4.1 percent. Nonparametric and heterogeneity analyses suggest that “quicker and sicker” discharges contribute to the additional readmissions. The crowding impacts are larger in hospital departments with fewer beds, sicker patients, and stronger incentives to admit nonemergency patients. (JEL H51, I11, I12, I18)