Hospital closures in rural areas disrupt access to care for injured workers but do not significantly increase workers compensation claim costs or disability duration, according to a Workers Compensation Research Institute study released Thursday.

The study examined the impact of hospital closures on access to care and claim outcomes and found that rural hospital closures led to workers traveling an average of 5 miles farther for emergency care services and a 3.6 percentage point decline in the use of emergency care services after work-related injuries.

Read the full review from Business Insurance here.  The new WCRI study is Impact of Hospital Closures on Access to Care and Claim Outcomes.  Visit its page on our website for more details, as well as information on how you can get a copy!