Disability Discrimination in Healthcare Is Associated with Increased Emergency Department Use

Posted on January 7, 2026

By Carli Friedman, CQL Director of Research

Disabled people visit the emergency department more often than nondisabled people. Visiting the emergency department more frequently can be a sign of unmet healthcare needs and inequitable care. Research from other populations also suggests that increased emergency department visits can also be a result of discrimination in health care. For these reasons, in this study, in which we collaborated with Laura VanPuymbrouck (Rush University), our aim was to examine the relationship between disabled people being discriminated against in health care and their emergency department visits. To do so, we analyzed data as part of our larger study (Friedman & VanPuymbrouck, 2026), which surveyed over 2,000 disabled people living in all 50 states to learn more about their experiences in health care.

We found disabled people who received differential health care because of disability were significantly more likely to visit the emergency department, even when factors like disability type, chronic conditions, and self-rated health were accounted for (see figure below). Compared to disabled people who ‘never’ received differential health care because of disability, disabled people who ‘rarely’ received differential health care because of disability were 1.8 times more likely to visit the emergency department, people who ‘sometimes’ received differential care were 2.0 times more likely to visit the emergency department, people who ‘frequently’ received differential care were 2.3 times more likely to visit the emergency department, and people who ‘always’ received differential care 2.8 times more likely.

Differential Healthcare and Emergency Department Visits

“As recognized by the concept of social determinants of health, health care services alone cannot remedy poor health (United States Department of Health & Human Services, 2015). Instead, the roots of health inequities must be unearthed; this includes discrimination within health care. Indeed, in our study, we found a relationship between differential care due to disability and emergency department visits. By not only recognizing the role discrimination plays in disabled people’s health care, but also working to dismantle discrimination writ large, we promote higher quality health care and health equity for everyone” (Friedman & VanPuymbrouck, 2026).

This article is a summary of the following journal manuscript: Friedman, C., & VanPuymbrouck, L. (2026). The relationship between health care discrimination and disabled people’s emergency department utilization. Diversity & Inclusion Research, 3(1), e70047. https://doi.org/10.1002/dvr2.70047.

References

• Friedman, C., & VanPuymbrouck, L. (2025). The relationship between health care discrimination and disabled people’s emergency department utilization. Diversity & Inclusion Research, 3(1), e70047. https://doi.org/10.1002/dvr2.70047
• Friedman, C., & VanPuymbrouck, L. (2026). Experiences of discrimination in healthcare: A survey of disabled people’s perspectives. In C. Lepkowsky (Ed.), Systemic ableism: Critical perspectives on disability, equity, and access (pp. 15-36). Nova Publishers. https://doi.org/10.52305/QTWP6822
• United States Department of Health & Human Services. (2015). Healthy people 2020: An opportunity to address societal determinants of health in the United States. Author. https://odphp.health.gov/sites/default/files/2021-11/Committee%27s%20Report%20on%20Healthy%20People%202020-%20An%20Opportunity%20to%20Address%20Societal%20Determinants%20of%20Health.pdf