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Choi M, Son M, Bae S, Lee W, Kim KN, Hyun JK. Interrupting Effect of Social Distancing on Ischemic Heart Disease, Asthma, Stroke, and Suicide Attempt Patients by PM 2.5 Exposure. Yonsei Med J 2024; 65:302-313. [PMID: 38653569 PMCID: PMC11045348 DOI: 10.3349/ymj.2023.0135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE This study aimed to examine the interrupting effect of social distancing (SD) on emergency department (ED) patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD), stroke, asthma, and suicide attempts by PM2.5 exposure in eight Korean megacities from 2017 to 2020. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study used National Emergency Department Information System and AirKorea data. A total of 469014 patients visited EDs from 2017 to 2020. Interrupted time series analysis was employed to examine changes in the level and slope of the time series, relative risk, and confidence intervals (CIs) by PM2.5 exposure. The SD level was added to the sensitivity analysis. RESULTS The interrupted time series analysis demonstrated a significant increase in the ratio of relative risk (RRR) of IHD patients in Seoul (RRR=1.004, 95% CI: 1.001, 1.006) and Busan (RRR=1.007, 95% CI: 1.002, 1.012) post-SD. Regarding stroke, only patients in Seoul exhibited a significant decrease post-SD (RRR=0.995, 95% CI: 0.991, 0.999). No significant changes were observed for asthma in any of the cities. In the case of suicide attempts, Ulsan demonstrated substantial pre-SD (RR=0.827, 95% CI: 0.732, 0.935) and post-SD (RRR=1.200, 95% CI: 1.057, 1.362) differences. CONCLUSION While the interrupting effect of SD was not as pronounced as anticipated, this study did validate the effectiveness of SD in modifying health behaviors and minimizing avoidable visits to EDs in addition to curtailing the occurrence of infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minseo Choi
- Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Korea
| | - Mia Son
- Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Korea.
| | - Sanghyuk Bae
- Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
| | - Whanhee Lee
- Biomedical Data Science, BioMedical Convergence Engineering, Pusan National University, Yangsan, Korea
| | - Kyung-Nam Kim
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
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Francetic I, Meacock R, Sutton M. Free-for-all: Does crowding impact outcomes because hospital emergency departments do not prioritise effectively? JOURNAL OF HEALTH ECONOMICS 2024; 95:102881. [PMID: 38626590 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2024.102881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/18/2024]
Abstract
Unexpected peaks in volumes of attendances at hospital emergency departments (EDs) have been found to affect waiting times, intensity of care and outcomes. We ask whether these effects of ED crowding on patients are caused by poor clinical prioritisation or a quality-quantity trade-off generated by a binding capacity constraint. We study the effects of crowding created by lower-severity patients on the outcomes of approximately 13 million higher-severity patients attending the 140 public EDs in England between April 2016 and March 2017. Our identification approach relies on high-dimensional fixed effects to account for planned capacity. Unexpected demand from low-severity patients has very limited effects on the care provided to higher-severity patients throughout their entire pathway in ED. Detrimental effects of crowding caused by low-severity patients materialise only at very high levels of unexpected demand, suggesting that binding resource constraints impact patient care only when demand greatly exceeds the ED's expectations. These effects are smaller than those caused by crowding induced by higher-severity patients, suggesting an efficient prioritisation of incoming patients in EDs.
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Chrepa V, Villasenor S, Mauney A, Kotsakis G, Macpherson L. Cannabidiol as an Alternative Analgesic for Acute Dental Pain. J Dent Res 2024; 103:235-242. [PMID: 37910667 PMCID: PMC10900863 DOI: 10.1177/00220345231200814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Odontogenic pain can be debilitating, and nonopioid analgesic options are limited. This randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of cannabidiol (CBD) as an analgesic for patients with emergency acute dental pain. Sixty-one patients with moderate to severe toothache were randomized into 3 groups: CBD10 (CBD 10 mg/kg), CBD20 (CBD 20 mg/kg), and placebo. We administered a single dose of respective oral solution and monitored the subjects for 3 h. The primary outcome measure was the numerical pain differences using a visual analog scale (VAS) from baseline within and among the groups. Secondary outcome measures included ordinal pain intensity differences, the onset of significant pain relief, maximum pain relief, changes in bite force within and among the groups, psychoactive effects, mood changes, and other adverse events. Both CBD groups resulted in significant VAS pain reduction compared to their baseline and the placebo group, with a maximum median VAS pain reduction of 73% from baseline pain at the 180-min time point (P < 0.05). CBD20 experienced a faster onset of significant pain relief than CBD10 (15 versus 30 min after drug administration), and both groups reached maximum pain relief at 180-min. Number needed to treat was 3.1 for CBD10 and 2.4 for CBD20. Intragroup comparisons showed a significant increase in bite forces in both CBD groups (P < 0.05) but not in the placebo group (P > 0.05). CBD20 resulted in a significant difference in mean percent bite force change in the 90- and 180-min time points compared to the placebo group (P < 0.05). Compared to placebo, sedation, diarrhea, and abdominal pain were significantly associated with the CBD groups (P < 0.05). There were no other significant psychoactive or mood change effects. This randomized trial provides the first clinical evidence that oral CBD can be an effective and safe analgesic for dental pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- V. Chrepa
- UTHealth San Antonio, School of Dentistry, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Rutgers School of Dental Medicine, Newark, NJ
| | - S. Villasenor
- University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - A. Mauney
- University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - G. Kotsakis
- UTHealth San Antonio, School of Dentistry, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Rutgers School of Dental Medicine, Newark, NJ
| | - L. Macpherson
- University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
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Gould M, Mangal R, Stead T, Gue S, Ganti L. Sex and employment status affect patients' perspectives regarding affordability of emergency department visits. J Natl Med Assoc 2024; 116:75-82. [PMID: 38151423 DOI: 10.1016/j.jnma.2023.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND For many conditions, a timely visit to the Emergency Department (ED) can have a tremendous impact on the patient's outcome. However, the decision to visit the ED in a time of need can be stressful. Our study aims to understand whether cost was a factor for seeking ED care, and if any particular subgroups including race, ethnicity and sex were less likely to obtain such care. METHODS A web-based survey of US adults was conducted to assess participants' ED access, estimates of the cost of visiting, and their overall levels of comfort in seeking emergency care. Statistical analyses performed in JMP 16.1 for the Mac. RESULTS Multivariate regression modeling demonstrated that women (p = 0.0241), participants employed for wages (p = 0.0257), or self-employed (p = 0.0019) are less likely to visit the ED due to cost. Conversely, retired individuals are significantly less likely to encounter cost as a restriction (p = 0.0081). CONCLUSION In a national survey sample that asked about whether cost was a factor in visiting the emergency department, women and people who worked for wages or were self-employed were most likely to think twice about cost.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rohan Mangal
- University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Thor Stead
- The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Shayne Gue
- University of Central Florida College of Medicine, Orlando, FL, United States; Envision Healthcare, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Latha Ganti
- University of Central Florida College of Medicine, Orlando, FL, United States; Envision Healthcare, Nashville, TN, United States; Brown University, Providence, RI, United States.
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Strum RP, Mondoux S, Mowbray FI, Griffith LE, Worster A, Tavares W, Miller P, Aryal K, Sivakumaran R, Costa AP. Validating the Emergency Department Avoidability Classification (EDAC): A cluster randomized single-blinded agreement study. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0297689. [PMID: 38261589 PMCID: PMC10805301 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0297689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/25/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The Emergency Department Avoidability Classification (EDAC) retrospectively classifies emergency department (ED) visits that could have been safely managed in subacute primary care settings, but has not been validated against a criterion standard. A validated EDAC could enable accurate and reliable quantification of avoidable ED visits. We compared agreement between the EDAC and ED physician judgements to specify avoidable ED visits. MATERIALS AND METHODS We conducted a cluster randomized, single-blinded agreement study in an academic hospital in Hamilton, Canada. ED visits between January 1, 2019, and December 31, 2019 were clustered based on EDAC classes and randomly sampled evenly. A total of 160 ED visit charts were randomly assigned to ten participating ED physicians at the academic hospital for evaluation. Physicians judged if the ED visit could have been managed appropriately in subacute primary care (an avoidable visit); each ED visit was evaluated by two physicians independently. We measured interrater agreement between physicians with a Cohen's kappa and 95% confidence intervals (CI). We evaluated the correlation between the EDAC and physician judgements using a Spearman rank correlation and ordinal logistic regression with odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs. We examined the EDAC's precision to identify avoidable ED visits using accuracy, sensitivity and specificity. RESULTS ED physicians agreed on 139 visits (86.9%) with a kappa of 0.69 (95% CI 0.59-0.79), indicating substantial agreement. Physicians judged 96.2% of ED visits classified as avoidable by the EDAC as suitable for management in subacute primary care. We found a high correlation between the EDAC and physician judgements (0.64), as well as a very strong association to classify avoidable ED visits (OR 80.0, 95% CI 17.1-374.9). The EDACs avoidable and potentially avoidable classes demonstrated strong accuracy to identify ED visits suitable for management in subacute care (82.8%, 95% CI 78.2-86.8). DISCUSSION The EDAC demonstrated strong evidence of criterion validity to classify avoidable ED visits. This classification has important potential for accurately monitoring trends in avoidable ED utilization, measuring proportions of ED volume attributed to avoidable visits and informing interventions intended at reducing ED use by patients who do not require emergency or life-saving healthcare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan P. Strum
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Shawn Mondoux
- Department of Medicine, Division of Emergency Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Institute for Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Fabrice I. Mowbray
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- College of Nursing, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Lauren E. Griffith
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- McMaster Institute for Research and Aging, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andrew Worster
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Division of Emergency Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Walter Tavares
- The Wilson Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Paul Miller
- Department of Medicine, Division of Emergency Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Centre for Paramedic Education and Research, Hamilton Health Sciences, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Komal Aryal
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ravi Sivakumaran
- Health Information Management Department, St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andrew P. Costa
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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Fleshner L, Lagree A, Shiner A, Alera MA, Bielecki M, Grant R, Kiss A, Krzyzanowska MK, Cheng I, Tran WT, Gandhi S. Drivers of Emergency Department Use Among Oncology Patients in the Era of Novel Cancer Therapeutics: A Systematic Review. Oncologist 2023; 28:1020-1033. [PMID: 37302801 PMCID: PMC10712716 DOI: 10.1093/oncolo/oyad161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients diagnosed with cancer are frequent users of the emergency department (ED). While many visits are unavoidable, a significant portion may be potentially preventable ED visits (PPEDs). Cancer treatments have greatly advanced, whereby patients may present with unique toxicities from targeted therapies and are often living longer with advanced disease. Prior work focused on patients undergoing cytotoxic chemotherapy, and often excluded those on supportive care alone. Other contributors to ED visits in oncology, such as patient-level variables, are less well-established. Finally, prior studies focused on ED diagnoses to describe trends and did not evaluate PPEDs. An updated systematic review was completed to focus on PPEDs, novel cancer therapies, and patient-level variables, including those on supportive care alone. METHODS Three online databases were used. Included publications were in English, from 2012-2022, with sample sizes of ≥50, and reported predictors of ED presentation or ED diagnoses in oncology. RESULTS 45 studies were included. Six studies highlighted PPEDs with variable definitions. Common reasons for ED visits included pain (66%) or chemotherapy toxicities (69.1%). PPEDs were most frequent amongst breast cancer patients (13.4%) or patients receiving cytotoxic chemotherapy (20%). Three manuscripts included immunotherapy agents, and only one focused on end-of-life patients. CONCLUSION This updated systematic review highlights variability in oncology ED visits during the last decade. There is limited work on the concept of PPEDs, patient-level variables and patients on supportive care alone. Overall, pain and chemotherapy toxicities remain key drivers of ED visits in cancer patients. Further work is needed in this realm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Fleshner
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Radiogenomics Laboratory, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Andrew Lagree
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Radiogenomics Laboratory, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada
- Temerty Centre for AI Research and Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Audrey Shiner
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Radiogenomics Laboratory, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Marie Angeli Alera
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Radiogenomics Laboratory, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada
| | - Mateusz Bielecki
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Radiogenomics Laboratory, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada
| | - Robert Grant
- Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Alex Kiss
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- ICES, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Monika K Krzyzanowska
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- The Cancer Quality Lab, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- ICES, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ivy Cheng
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - William T Tran
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Radiogenomics Laboratory, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Temerty Centre for AI Research and Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sonal Gandhi
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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Dröge P, Ruhnke T, Fischer-Rosinsky A, Henschke C, Keil T, Möckel M, Günster C, Slagman A. Patients pathways before and after treatments in emergency departments: A retrospective analysis of secondary data in Germany. Health Policy 2023; 138:104944. [PMID: 38016261 DOI: 10.1016/j.healthpol.2023.104944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
Increasing emergency department (ED) utilization induces considerable pressure on ED staff and organization in Germany. Reasons for certain ED attendances are seen partly in insufficient continuity of care outside of hospitals. To explore the health care patterns before and after an ED attendance in Germany, we used claims data from nine statutory health insurance funds, covering around 25 % of statutory health insurees (1). We descriptively analyzed ED attendances for adult patients in 2016 according to their sociodemographic characteristics and diagnoses (2). Based on the ED attendance as initial event, we investigated health care provider utilization 180 days before and after the respective ED treatment and are presented by means of Sankey diagrams. In total, 4,757,536 ED cases of 3,164,343 insured individuals were analyzed. Back pain was the most frequent diagnosis in outpatient ED cases (5.0 %), and 80.2 % of the patients visited primary care physicians or specialists 180 days before and 78.8 % 180 days after ED treatment. Among inpatient cases, heart failure (4.6 %) was the leading diagnosis and 74.6 % used primary care physicians or specialists 180 days before and 65.1 % 180 days after ED treatment. The ED re-attendance slightly increased for back pain (4.9 % to 7.9 %) and decreased for heart failure (13.4 % to 12.6 %).
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Antje Fischer-Rosinsky
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Emergency and Acute Medicine (CVK, CCM), Berlin, Germany
| | - Cornelia Henschke
- Dept. Health Care Management, Berlin University of Technology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Thomas Keil
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Berlin, Germany; Institute of Clinical Epidemiology and Biometry, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany; State Institute of Health I, Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Martin Möckel
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Emergency and Acute Medicine (CVK, CCM), Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Anna Slagman
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Emergency and Acute Medicine (CVK, CCM), Berlin, Germany
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McNaughton CD, Poon SJ. Funding Emergency Care in America: Searching for Solutions in a Highly Designed Mess. Ann Emerg Med 2023; 82:647-649. [PMID: 37565955 DOI: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2023.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Sabrina J Poon
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN; Emergency Services, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada
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Musa AAR, Sethi S, Poirier BF, Oliver KJ, Jensen ED. Non-traumatic emergency department dental visits among patients 0-25 years of age: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Paediatr Dent 2023; 33:457-467. [PMID: 37017466 DOI: 10.1111/ipd.13069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 10/29/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nontraumatic dental conditions (NTDC) that made children attending to emergency departments (EDs) of tertiary hospitals can put significant financial and time strain on hospitals. AIM The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to calculate the prevalence of paediatric presentations to EDs of tertiary hospitals for NTDC and describe the characteristics of these presentations. DESIGN A systematic search strategy using PubMed, Embase and Web of Science databases was performed to identify studies quantifying NTDC presentations to EDs of tertiary hospitals from inception through to July 2022. Eligible studies were critically appraised using the Joanna Briggs Institute checklist for studies reporting prevalence. RESULTS The search identified 31 099 studies, from which 14 were found to meet the inclusion criteria. A random effects model was used for meta-analysis, and the prevalence of NTDC reported through EDs of tertiary hospitals ranged from 52.3% to 77.9%. CONCLUSIONS Nontraumatic dental conditions, which may be preventable when caused by dental caries, made up a high proportion of dental visits to tertiary hospital EDs. Public health initiatives should be considered to reduce the burden of NTDC on EDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali A R Musa
- Adelaide Dental School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- Department of Paediatric Dentistry, Women's and Children's Hospital, North Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Sneha Sethi
- Adelaide Dental School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Brianna F Poirier
- Adelaide Dental School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Kelly J Oliver
- Department of Paediatric Dentistry, Women's and Children's Hospital, North Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Emilija D Jensen
- Adelaide Dental School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- Department of Paediatric Dentistry, Women's and Children's Hospital, North Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
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Slagman A, Fischer-Rosinský A, Legg D, Schmieder K, Möckel M. Identification of low-acuity attendances in routine clinical information documented in German Emergency Departments. BMC Emerg Med 2023; 23:64. [PMID: 37280527 DOI: 10.1186/s12873-023-00838-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION It has not yet been possible to ascertain the exact proportion, characterization or impact of low-acuity emergency department (ED) attendances on the German Health Care System since valid and robust definitions to be applied in German ED routine data are missing. METHODS Internationally used methods and parameters to identify low-acuity ED attendances were identified, analyzed and then applied to routine ED data from two EDs of the tertiary care hospitals Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Mitte (CCM) and Campus Virchow (CVK). RESULTS Based on the three routinely available parameters `disposition´, `transport to the ED´ and `triage´ 33.2% (n = 30 676) out of 92 477 presentations to the two EDs of Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin (CVK, CCM) in 2016 could be classified as low-acuity presentations. CONCLUSION This study provides a reliable and replicable means of retrospective identification and quantification of low-acuity attendances in German ED routine data. This enables both intra-national and international comparisons of figures across future studies and health care monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Slagman
- Emergency and Acute Medicine (CVK, CCM), Health Services Research in Emergency and Acute Medicine, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
| | - Antje Fischer-Rosinský
- Emergency and Acute Medicine (CVK, CCM), Health Services Research in Emergency and Acute Medicine, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany.
| | - David Legg
- Emergency and Acute Medicine (CVK, CCM), Health Services Research in Emergency and Acute Medicine, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
| | - Kristin Schmieder
- Emergency and Acute Medicine (CVK, CCM), Health Services Research in Emergency and Acute Medicine, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
| | - Martin Möckel
- Emergency and Acute Medicine (CVK, CCM), Health Services Research in Emergency and Acute Medicine, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
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Adunola F, Macek MD, Atchison K, Akinkugbe A. Association between oral health knowledge, perceived oral health related quality of life, perceived oral health status and emergency department and/or urgent care visit: Results from the multi-site oral health literacy study. J Public Health Dent 2023; 83:193-199. [PMID: 36938785 PMCID: PMC10258138 DOI: 10.1111/jphd.12567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/21/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To assess the link between oral health knowledge (OHK), self-perceived oral health, and emergency room (ER)/urgent care utilization for a dental problem. METHODS Data were analyzed from a convenience sample of 790 adult participants who presented to two US dental schools and completed an interviewer-administered survey. Key independent variables were OHK assessed with the Comprehensive Measure of Oral Health Knowledge (CMOHK) instrument, self-perceived oral health status and quality of life determined using the General Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI) scores. The dependent variable was ER and/or urgent care utilization for a dental problem. Select sociodemographic variables such as age and gender were adjusted for in logistic regression models using SAS. RESULTS 15.7% of the participants had ever visited an ER and/or urgent care for a dental problem. CMOHK scores were not significantly associated with visits to the ER and/or urgent care. In adjusted analysis, participants with unfavorable GOHAI scores were about three times as likely to have had an ER and/or urgent care visit (OR = 2.60, 95% CI: 1.66-4.09). Similarly, participants who were unsatisfied with their oral health were about twice as likely to have had an ER and/or urgent care visit (OR = 1.91, 95% CI: 1.21-3.00) as compared to those satisfied with their oral health status. CONCLUSION Individuals unsatisfied with their oral health and those with unfavorable perceived oral health related quality of life could benefit from a greater awareness of dental service availability and extended hours including weekend hours at public dental clinics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Folasayo Adunola
- Health Resources and Services Administration, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Mark D Macek
- Department of Dental Public Health, University of Maryland School of Dentistry, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Kathryn Atchison
- Section of Public and Population Health, University of California - Los Angeles School of Dentistry, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Aderonke Akinkugbe
- Division of Environmental Epidemiology, Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
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Currier J, Wallace N, Bigler K, O'Connor M, Farris P, Shannon J. Community paramedicine in Central Oregon: A promising model to reduce non-urgent emergency department utilization among medically complex Medicaid beneficiaries. J Am Coll Emerg Physicians Open 2023; 4:e12988. [PMID: 37313452 PMCID: PMC10258641 DOI: 10.1002/emp2.12988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Community paramedicine has emerged as a promising model to redirect persons with nonmedically emergent conditions to more appropriate and less expensive community-based health care settings. Outreach through community paramedicine to patients with a history of high hospital emergency department (ED) use and chronic health conditions has been found to reduce ED use. This study examined the effect of community paramedicine implemented in 2 rural counties in reducing nonemergent ED use among a sample of Medicaid beneficiaries with complex medical conditions and a history of high ED utilization. Methods A cluster randomized trial approach with a stepped wedge design was used to test the effect of the community paramedicine intervention. ED utilization for non-urgent care was measured by emergency medicine ED visits and avoidable ED visits. Results The community paramedicine intervention reduced ED utilization among a sample of 102 medically complex Medicaid beneficiaries with a history of high ED utilization. In the unadjusted models, emergency medical ED visits decreased by 13.9% (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 0.86; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.76-0.98) or 6.1 visits saved for every 100 people. Avoidable emergency department visits decreased by 38.9% (IRR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.44-0.84) or 2.3 visits saved for every 100 people. Conclusion Our results suggest community paramedicine is a promising model to achieve a reduction in ED utilization among medically complex patients by managing complex health conditions in a home-based setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Currier
- Oregon Health & Science UniversityKnight Cancer InstituteBendOregonUSA
| | - Neal Wallace
- Oregon Health & Science University‐Portland State University School of Public HealthBendOregonUSA
| | | | | | - Paige Farris
- Oregon Health & Science UniversityKnight Cancer InstituteBendOregonUSA
| | - Jackilen Shannon
- Oregon Health & Science UniversityKnight Cancer InstituteBendOregonUSA
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Obadan-Udoh E, Herndon JB, Kohli R, McKernan S, Jura M, Momany E, Arora G, Sehgal HS, Yansane AI, Mertz E, Ojha D, Amundson C. Testing dental quality measures: Emergency department visits for nontraumatic dental conditions and subsequent follow-up dental visits. J Am Dent Assoc 2023; 154:507-518. [PMID: 37140496 DOI: 10.1016/j.adaj.2023.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The goal of this study was to test the feasibility, reliability, and validity of the Dental Quality Alliance's adult dental quality measures for system-level implementation for ambulatory care sensitive (ACS) emergency department (ED) visits for nontraumatic dental conditions (NTDCs) in adults and follow-up after ED visits for NTDCs in adults. METHODS Medicaid enrollment and claims data from Oregon and Iowa were used for measure testing. Testing included validation of diagnosis codes in claims data through patient record reviews of ED visits and calculations of κ statistic, sensitivity, and specificity. RESULTS Adult Medicaid enrollees' ACS NTDC ED visits ranged from 209 through 310 per 100,000 member-months. In both states, patients in the age category 25 through 34 years and non-Hispanic Black patients had the highest rates of ACS ED visits for NTDCs. Only one-third of all ED visits were associated with a follow-up dental visit within 30 days, decreasing to approximately one-fifth with a 7-day follow-up. The agreement between the claims data and patient records for identification of ACS ED visits for NTDCs was 93%, κ statistic was 0.85, sensitivity was 92%, and specificity was 94%. CONCLUSIONS Testing revealed the feasibility, reliability, and validity of 2 DQA quality measures. Most beneficiaries did not have a follow-up with a dentist within 30 days of an ED visit. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS Adoption of quality measures by state Medicaid programs and other integrated care systems will enable active tracking of beneficiaries with ED visits for NTDCs and develop strategies to connect them to dental homes.
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Zhao J, Powell I, Chessman J. Potential to be more effective: Reduction in lower urgency emergency department presentations during the COVID-19 period in New South Wales, Australia. Emerg Med Australas 2023; 35:283-288. [PMID: 36205001 DOI: 10.1111/1742-6723.14111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Diverting lower urgency ED presentations to more suitable healthcare is a key goal of several healthcare systems. During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, there was a substantial drop in ED presentations in New South Wales (NSW), potentially because of lower risk of illness and injury through social restrictions, or ED avoidance for lower urgent care. The present study aimed to better understand the impact of social restrictions during the pandemic on ED presentations, to inform potential shifts to alternative modes of care in emergency medicine. METHODS We conducted a quasi-experimental study of public ED presentations in NSW. We compared changes in weekly ED presentation counts by urgency, during and after the period of tightest social restrictions in contrast to the baseline period. Expected weekly counts were estimated using segmented quasi-Poisson regression, accounting for age and seasonality. RESULTS Lower urgency presentations fell more than mid-high urgency presentations, both during and after the period of tightest social restrictions. Lower urgency presentations reduced 30.9% compared to the baseline period during tightest restrictions, in contrast to 20.9% reduction for mid-high urgency presentations. Lower urgency presentations remained 14.4% lower after the tightest restrictions compared to the baseline period, whereas mid-high urgency presentations returned to usual levels. CONCLUSIONS This finding suggests that reducing lower urgency ED presentation beyond the COVID-19 pandemic maybe feasible, by supporting alternative, more appropriate sources of care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaying Zhao
- Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence, NSW Ministry of Health, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Agency for Clinical Innovation, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Ian Powell
- NSW Biostatistics Training Program, NSW Ministry of Health, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Julia Chessman
- Agency for Clinical Innovation, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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15
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McIntosh JT. Emergency department nurses' perceptions of caring behaviors toward individuals with mental illness: A secondary analysis. Int Emerg Nurs 2023; 68:101271. [PMID: 37003054 DOI: 10.1016/j.ienj.2023.101271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Abstract
AIM The aim of this study was to determine emergency department (ED) nurses' caring behaviors toward individuals with mental illness; and the influence of stigma on their caring behaviors. METHOD This is a secondary analysis of a cross-sectional study with (n = 813) ED nurses working in the United States from March 2021 to April 2021. The Caring Behaviors Inventory-24 item (CBI-24) and the Mental Illness: Clinicians' Attitudes Scale-4 (MICA v4) were used to collect data. RESULTS The mean CBI-24 score was 4.6 (SD = 0.8).The MICA v4 had an overall sum of 53.4 (SD = 9.2). Caring behaviors and stigma were found to have significant weak inverse relationship (r = - 0.23, p <.001). Age and level of education had a significant inverse relationship with caring behaviors (r = - 0.12; r = -. 19, p <.01 respectively). CONCLUSION The results of this study may contribute to the quality, equity, and safety of the emergency nursing care of individuals with mental illness, thereby improving health outcomes. It is recommended that the diversity of nurses and the characteristics of the ED be taken into consideration when designing trainings, providing leadership support, and managing resources to support the care of individuals with mental illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer T McIntosh
- Adelphi University, College of Nursing and Public Health, One South Street, Garden City, NY 11530, USA; Yale University School of Nursing, 400 West Campus Drive, Orange, CT 06477, USA.
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Miele AS, Fleury MJ, Zeluff H, Mendieta A, Phillips C, Roth A, Basello G, Nienaber C, Crupi R, Brondolo E. Driven by need, shaped by access: Heterogeneity in patient profiles and patterns of service utilization in patients with alcohol use disorders. Drug Alcohol Depend 2023; 246:109825. [PMID: 36924662 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2023.109825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients with alcohol-use disorders (AUDs) are highly heterogenous and account for an increasing proportion of general medical hospital visits. However, many patients with AUDs do not present with severe medical or psychiatric needs requiring immediate attention. There may be a mismatch between some patients' needs and the available services, potentially driving re-admissions and re-encounters. The current study aims to identify subgroups of AUD patients and predict differences in patterns of healthcare service use (HSU) over time. METHODS Latent class analysis (LCA) was conducted using hospital data incorporating sociodemographic, health behavior, clinical, and service use variables to identify subtypes of AUD patients, then class membership was used to predict patterns of HSU. RESULTS Four classes were identified with the following characteristics: (1) Patients with acute medical injuries (30 %); (2) Patients with socioeconomic and psychiatric risk factors, (11 %); (3) Patients with chronic AUD with primarily non-psychiatric medical needs (18 %); and (4) Patients with primary AUDs with low medical-treatment complexity (40 %). Negative binomial models showed that Class 4 patients accounted for the highest frequency of service use, including significantly higher rates of emergency department reencounters at 30 days and 12 months. CONCLUSIONS The profile and patterns of HSU exhibited by patients in class 4 suggest that these patients have needs which are not currently being addressed in the emergency department. These have implications for how resources are allocated to meet the needs of patients with AUDs, including those who make frequent visits to the emergency department without high acuity medical needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew S Miele
- St. John's University Department of Psychology, Queens, NY, USA; Jamaica Hospital Medical Center (JHMC), Queens, NY, USA.
| | - Marie-Josée Fleury
- Douglas Research Center, McGill University Department of Psychiatry, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Heather Zeluff
- St. John's University Department of Psychology, Queens, NY, USA
| | - Ashley Mendieta
- St. John's University Department of Psychology, Queens, NY, USA
| | | | - Alan Roth
- Jamaica Hospital Medical Center (JHMC), Queens, NY, USA
| | - Gina Basello
- Jamaica Hospital Medical Center (JHMC), Queens, NY, USA
| | | | - Robert Crupi
- Ambulatory Care & Population Health & Palliative Care Services, Weill Cornell Medical College, USA
| | - Elizabeth Brondolo
- St. John's University Department of Psychology, Queens, NY, USA; Jamaica Hospital Medical Center (JHMC), Queens, NY, USA
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Alnasser S, Alharbi M, AAlibrahim A, Aal ibrahim A, Kentab O, Alassaf W, Aljahany M. Analysis of Emergency Department Use by Non-Urgent Patients and Their Visit Characteristics at an Academic Center. Int J Gen Med 2023; 16:221-232. [PMID: 36711428 PMCID: PMC9880025 DOI: 10.2147/ijgm.s391126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective We studied the extent and reasons for non-urgent emergency department (ED) visits in a single university hospital, their predictors, and patient outcomes to propose solutions suitable for Middle Eastern healthcare systems. Design We conducted a retrospective review of electronic medical records, including all non- and less-urgent ED visits with complete triage records (levels 4 and 5 triage based on the Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (CTAS) over one year. The data on patient demographics, visit characteristics, and patient disposition were analyzed using SPSS software. Setting The study was conducted in the ED at King Abdullah Bin Abdul-Aziz University Hospital (KAAUH), a Saudi university hospital located within the campus of Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University. Participants A chart review was carried out for 18,880 patients with CTAS 4 or 5 visiting the KAAUH ED between July 2020 and July 2021. Additionally, a total of "11,857" patients with missing triage acuity or CTAS levels 1, 2, or 3 were excluded from the study. Results The majority (61.4%) of the 30,737 ED visits were less-urgent or non-urgent. The most common reasons for non-urgent visits were routine examination/investigation (40.9%), medication refilling (14.6%), and upper respiratory tract infection/symptoms (9.9%). Most visits (73.4%) were during weekdays and resulted in the prescription of medication (94.2%), laboratory tests (62.8%), sick leaves (4.7%), radiology examinations (3.6%), and a visit to primary healthcare clinics (family medicine) within a week of the emergency visit (3.6%). Conclusion Less- and non-urgent ED visits often did not need any further follow-ups or admission and represented a burden better managed by a primary healthcare center. Policymakers should mitigate unnecessary ED visits through public awareness, establish clear regulations for ED visits, improve the quality of care in primary healthcare centers, facilitate booking for outpatient department appointments, and regulate the systems of payment coverage/insurance and referral by other organizations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Alnasser
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Maryam Alharbi
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmad AAlibrahim
- Department of Emergency, King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz University Hospital, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ali Aal ibrahim
- College of Medicine, Sulaiman Al Rajhi University, Bukairiyah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Osama Kentab
- Department of Emergency, King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz University Hospital, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Wajdan Alassaf
- Department of Emergency, King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz University Hospital, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Muna Aljahany
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia,Correspondence: Muna Aljahany, Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Email
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Alishahi Tabriz A, Turner K, Hong YR, Gheytasvand S, Powers BD, Elston Lafata J. Trends and Characteristics of Potentially Preventable Emergency Department Visits Among Patients With Cancer in the US. JAMA Netw Open 2023; 6:e2250423. [PMID: 36656584 PMCID: PMC9857289 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.50423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE An initial step to reducing emergency department (ED) visits among patients with cancer is to identify the characteristics of patients visiting the ED and examine which of those visits could be prevented. OBJECTIVE To explore nationwide trends and characteristics of ED visits and examine factors associated with potentially preventable ED visits and unplanned hospitalizations among patients with cancer in the US. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This cross-sectional study used data on ED visits from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey from January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2019; US Cancer Statistics reports were used to estimate new cancer cases each year. Frequencies and trends among 35 510 014 ED visits by adult patients (aged ≥18 years) with cancer were calculated. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was potentially preventable ED visits, and secondary outcomes were unplanned hospitalizations and the immediacy of the ED visits. Potentially preventable ED visits were identified using the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services definition. The Emergency Severity Index, a triage algorithm that ranks patients based on the urgency of their health care condition, was used to measure the immediacy of ED visits (immediate [most urgent], emergent, urgent, less urgent, and nonurgent), with the categories of immediate and emergent classified as high acuity. The Wilcoxon rank sum test was used to calculate trends in ED visits among patients with cancer over time. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the associations of patient, hospital, and temporal factors with potentially preventable ED use and ED use resulting in hospitalization. RESULTS Among 854 911 106 ED visits, 35 510 014 (4.2%) were made by patients with cancer (mean [SD] age, 66.2 [16.2] years); of those, 55.2% of visits were among women, 73.2% were among non-Hispanic White individuals, 89.8% were among patients living in a private residence, and 54.3% were among Medicare enrollees. A total of 18 316 373 ED visits (51.6%) were identified as potentially preventable, and 5 770 571 visits (21.3%) were classified as high acuity. From 2012 to 2019, potentially preventable ED visits increased from 1 851 692 to 3 214 276. Pain (36.9%) was the most common reason for potentially preventable ED visits. The number of patients who visited an ED because of pain increased from 1 192 197 in 2012 to 2 405 849 in 2019 (a 101.8% increase). Overall, 28.9% of ED visits resulted in unplanned hospitalizations, which did not change significantly over time (from 32.2% in 2012 to 26.6% in 2019; P = .78 for trend). Factors such as residence in a nursing home (odds ratio, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.25-2.41) were positively associated with having a potentially preventable ED visit, and factors such as the presence of more than 1 comorbidity (odds ratio, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.43-2.32) were positively associated with having an unplanned hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this study, 51.6% of ED visits among patients with cancer were identified as potentially preventable, and the absolute number of potentially preventable ED visits increased substantially between 2012 and 2019. These findings highlight the need for cancer care programs to implement evidence-based interventions to better manage cancer treatment complications, such as uncontrolled pain, in outpatient and ambulatory settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Alishahi Tabriz
- Department of Health Outcomes and Behavior, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida
| | - Kea Turner
- Department of Health Outcomes and Behavior, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida
| | - Young-Rock Hong
- Department of Health Services Research, Management and Policy, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville
- Health Cancer Center, University of Florida, Gainesville
| | - Sara Gheytasvand
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Science, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Benjamin D. Powers
- Department of Health Outcomes and Behavior, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida
| | - Jennifer Elston Lafata
- Division of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill
- UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill
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North F, Garrison GM, Jensen TB, Pecina J, Stroebel R. Hospitalization Risk Associated With Emergency Department Reasons for Visit and Patient Age: A Retrospective Evaluation of National Emergency Department Survey Data to Help Identify Potentially Avoidable Emergency Department Visits. Health Serv Res Manag Epidemiol 2023; 10:23333928231214169. [PMID: 38023369 PMCID: PMC10664417 DOI: 10.1177/23333928231214169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 09/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Patients often present to emergency departments (EDs) with concerns that do not require emergency care. Self-triage and other interventions may help some patients decide whether they should be seen in the ED. Symptoms associated with low risk of hospitalization can be identified in national ED data and can inform the design of interventions to reduce avoidable ED visits. Methods We used the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) data from the United States National Health Care Statistics (NHCS) division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The ED datasets from 2011 through 2020 were combined. Primary reasons for ED visit and the binary field for hospital admission from the ED were used to estimate the proportion of ED patients admitted to the hospital for each reason for visit and age category. Results There were 221,027 surveyed ED visits during the 10-year data collection with 736 different primary reasons for visit and 23,228 hospitalizations. There were 145 million estimated hospitalizations from 1.37 billion estimated ED visits (10.6%). Inclusion criteria for this study were reasons for visit which had at least 30 ED visits in the sample; there were 396 separate reasons for visit which met this criteria. Of these 396 reasons for visit, 97 had admission percentages less than 2% and another 52 had hospital admissions estimated between 2% and 4%. However, there was a significant increase in hospitalizations within many of the ED reasons for visit in older adults. Conclusion Reasons for visit from national ED data can be ranked by hospitalization risk. Low-risk symptoms may help healthcare institutions identify potentially avoidable ED visits. Healthcare systems can use this information to help manage potentially avoidable ED visits with interventions designed to apply to their patient population and healthcare access.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederick North
- Community Internal Medicine, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | | | - Teresa B Jensen
- Department of Family Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Jennifer Pecina
- Department of Family Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Robert Stroebel
- Community Internal Medicine, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
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McIntosh JT. Illuminating Emergency Nurses' Perceptions of Stigma, Attribution, and Caring Behaviors Toward People With Mental Illness Through the Lens of Individualized Care: A Cross-sectional Study. J Emerg Nurs 2023; 49:109-123.e4. [PMID: 36266094 DOI: 10.1016/j.jen.2022.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 09/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Emergency nurses' negative attitudes and lack of caring have been identified as factors affecting the experience of individuals with mental illness in emergency departments. This study examined the relationships between emergency nurses' perceptions of stigma, attribution, caring behaviors, and individualized care toward people with mental illness. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted among 813 nurses working in United States emergency departments. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire; the Mental Illness: Clinicians' Attitudes Scale-4; the Attribution Questionnaire; 24-Item Caring Behaviors Inventory; and the Individualized Care Scale-Nurse version. Data analyses consisted of descriptive and correlation statistics and multiple linear regression. RESULTS The findings from the final regression analysis revealed that caring had a significant relationship with individualized care (version A: β = 0.70, P < .001; Version B: β = 0.73; P < .001). Stigma and attribution had significant inverse relationships with individualized care (β = -0.07, P < .01; β = -0.06, P < .05, respectively). DISCUSSION The results of this study indicated that emergency nurses' perception of individualized care toward people with mental illness is mostly associated with the nurses' level of caring behaviors toward this population. Stigma and attribution had little to no effect. Findings from this study reinforce nurses' altruistic and caring qualities. The findings suggest the need for a possible paradigm shift from antistigma training to trainings that prioritize caring behaviors toward mental illness. This could ultimately improve health equity, safety, and overall outcomes for people with mental illness.
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Osmanlliu E, Burstein B, Tamblyn R, Buckeridge DL. Assessing the potential for virtualizable care in the pediatric emergency department. J Telemed Telecare 2022:1357633X221133415. [PMID: 36408736 DOI: 10.1177/1357633x221133415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION There is increasing interest for patient-to-provider telemedicine in pediatric acute care. The suitability of telemedicine (virtualizability) for visits in this setting has not been formally assessed. We estimated the proportion of in-person pediatric emergency department (PED) visits that were potentially virtualizable, and identified factors associated with virtualizable care. METHODS This was a retrospective analysis of in-person visits at the PED of a Canadian tertiary pediatric hospital (02/2018-12/2019). Three definitions of virtualizable care were developed: (1) a definition based on "resource use" classifying visits as virtualizable if they resulted in a home discharge, no diagnostic testing, and no return visit within 72 h; (2) a "diagnostic definition" based on primary ED diagnosis; and (3) a stringent "combined definition" by which visits were classified as virtualizable if they met both the resource use and diagnostic definitions. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with telemedicine suitability. RESULTS There were 130,535 eligible visits from 80,727 individual patients during the study period. Using the most stringent combined definition of telemedicine suitability, 37.9% (95% confidence interval (CI) 37.6%-38.2%) of in-person visits were virtualizable. Overnight visits (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.16-1.37), non-Canadian citizenship (aOR 1.10-1.18), ethnocultural vulnerability (aOR 1.14-1.22), and a consultation for head trauma (aOR 3.50-4.60) were associated with higher telemedicine suitability across definitions. DISCUSSION There is a high potential for patient-to-provider telemedicine in the PED setting. Local patient and visit-level characteristics must be considered in the design of safe and inclusive telemedicine models for pediatric acute care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esli Osmanlliu
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, 10040McGill University, Montréal, Canada
- Pediatric Emergency Medicine Division, 12367McGill University Health Center, McGill University, Montréal, Canada
- 507266McGill Clinical & Health Informatics (MCHI) Research Group, McGill University, Montréal, Canada
| | - Brett Burstein
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, 10040McGill University, Montréal, Canada
- Pediatric Emergency Medicine Division, 12367McGill University Health Center, McGill University, Montréal, Canada
| | - Robyn Tamblyn
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, 10040McGill University, Montréal, Canada
- 507266McGill Clinical & Health Informatics (MCHI) Research Group, McGill University, Montréal, Canada
| | - David L Buckeridge
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, 10040McGill University, Montréal, Canada
- 507266McGill Clinical & Health Informatics (MCHI) Research Group, McGill University, Montréal, Canada
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22
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Perry LM, Morken V, Peipert JD, Yanez B, Garcia SF, Barnard C, Hirschhorn LR, Linder JA, Jordan N, Ackermann RT, Harris A, Kircher S, Mohindra N, Aggarwal V, Frazier R, Coughlin A, Bedjeti K, Weitzel M, Nelson EC, Elwyn G, Van Citters AD, O'Connor M, Cella D. Patient-Reported Outcome Dashboards Within the Electronic Health Record to Support Shared Decision-making: Protocol for Co-design and Clinical Evaluation With Patients With Advanced Cancer and Chronic Kidney Disease. JMIR Res Protoc 2022; 11:e38461. [PMID: 36129747 PMCID: PMC9536520 DOI: 10.2196/38461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patient-reported outcomes-symptoms, treatment side effects, and health-related quality of life-are important to consider in chronic illness care. The increasing availability of health IT to collect patient-reported outcomes and integrate results within the electronic health record provides an unprecedented opportunity to support patients' symptom monitoring, shared decision-making, and effective use of the health care system. OBJECTIVE The objectives of this study are to co-design a dashboard that displays patient-reported outcomes along with other clinical data (eg, laboratory tests, medications, and appointments) within an electronic health record and conduct a longitudinal demonstration trial to evaluate whether the dashboard is associated with improved shared decision-making and disease management outcomes. METHODS Co-design teams comprising study investigators, patients with advanced cancer or chronic kidney disease, their care partners, and their clinicians will collaborate to develop the dashboard. Investigators will work with clinic staff to implement the co-designed dashboard for clinical testing during a demonstration trial. The primary outcome of the demonstration trial is whether the quality of shared decision-making increases from baseline to the 3-month follow-up. Secondary outcomes include longitudinal changes in satisfaction with care, self-efficacy in managing treatments and symptoms, health-related quality of life, and use of costly and potentially avoidable health care services. Implementation outcomes (ie, fidelity, appropriateness, acceptability, feasibility, reach, adoption, and sustainability) during the co-design process and demonstration trial will also be collected and summarized. RESULTS The dashboard co-design process was completed in May 2020, and data collection for the demonstration trial is anticipated to be completed by the end of July 2022. The results will be disseminated in at least one manuscript per study objective. CONCLUSIONS This protocol combines stakeholder engagement, health care coproduction frameworks, and health IT to develop a clinically feasible model of person-centered care delivery. The results will inform our current understanding of how best to integrate patient-reported outcome measures into clinical workflows to improve outcomes and reduce the burden of chronic disease on patients and health care systems. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/38461.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura M Perry
- Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States.,Robert H Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Victoria Morken
- Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - John D Peipert
- Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States.,Robert H Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Betina Yanez
- Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States.,Robert H Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Sofia F Garcia
- Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States.,Robert H Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States.,Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Cynthia Barnard
- Northwestern Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States.,Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Lisa R Hirschhorn
- Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States.,Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States.,Robert J Havey, MD Institute for Global Health, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Jeffrey A Linder
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Neil Jordan
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States.,Institute for Public Health and Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States.,Center of Innovation for Complex Chronic Healthcare, Hines VA Hospital, Hines, IL, United States
| | - Ronald T Ackermann
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States.,Institute for Public Health and Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Alexandra Harris
- Institute for Public Health and Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Sheetal Kircher
- Robert H Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States.,Northwestern Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States.,Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Nisha Mohindra
- Robert H Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States.,Northwestern Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States.,Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Vikram Aggarwal
- Northwestern Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States.,Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Rebecca Frazier
- Northwestern Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States.,Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Ava Coughlin
- Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Katy Bedjeti
- Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Melissa Weitzel
- Northwestern Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States.,Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Eugene C Nelson
- The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy & Clinical Practice, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, United States
| | - Glyn Elwyn
- The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy & Clinical Practice, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, United States
| | - Aricca D Van Citters
- The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy & Clinical Practice, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, United States
| | - Mary O'Connor
- Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - David Cella
- Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States.,Robert H Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States.,Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States.,Institute for Public Health and Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
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23
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Levitin H, Jones B, Lockhart M, Christopher L, Sharkey M, Willette P, Kalnow A. Where Have All the FLOWERS Gone? A Multicenter Investigation of Frequent Users of Midwest Emergency Department Services During the COVID-19 Stay-at-home Orders. West J Emerg Med 2022; 23:724-733. [PMID: 36205683 PMCID: PMC9541997 DOI: 10.5811/westjem.2022.7.55727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: In this study we aimed to determine the impact of the mandatory coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic stay-at-home order on the proportional makeup of emergency department (ED) visits by frequent users and super users.
Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of existing data using a multisite review of the medical records of 280,053 patients to measure the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic stay-at-home order on ED visits. The primary outcomes included analysis before and during the lockdown in determining ED use and unique characteristics of non-frequent, frequent, and super users of emergency services.
Results: During the mandatory COVID-19 stay-at-home order (lockdown), the percentage of frequent users increased from 7.8% (pre-lockdown) to 21.8%. Super users increased from 0.7% to 4.7%, while non-frequent users dropped from 91.5% to 73.4%. Frequent users comprised 23.7% of all visits (4% increase), while super user encounters (4.7%) increased by 53%. Patients who used Medicaid and Medicare increased by 39.3% and 4.6%, respectively, while those who were uninsured increased ED use by 190.3% during the lockdown.
Conclusion: When barriers to accessing healthcare are implemented as part of a broader measure to reduce the spread of an infectious agent, individuals reliant on these services are more likely to seek out the ED for their medical needs. Policymakers considering future pandemic planning should consider this finding to ensure that vital healthcare resources are allocated appropriately.
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Affiliation(s)
- Howard Levitin
- OhioHealth Doctors Hospital, Department of Emergency Medicine, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Bruce Jones
- OhioHealth Doctors Hospital, Department of Emergency Medicine, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Marie Lockhart
- OhioHealth Doctors Hospital, Department of Emergency Medicine, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Lloyd Christopher
- OhioHealth Doctors Hospital, Department of Emergency Medicine, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Meenal Sharkey
- OhioHealth Doctors Hospital, Department of Emergency Medicine, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Paul Willette
- OhioHealth Doctors Hospital, Department of Emergency Medicine, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Andrew Kalnow
- OhioHealth Doctors Hospital, Department of Emergency Medicine, Columbus, Ohio
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24
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Pickens G, Smith MW, McDermott KW, Mummert A, Karaca Z. Trends in treatment costs of U.S. emergency department visits. Am J Emerg Med 2022; 58:89-94. [PMID: 35660368 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajem.2022.05.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Spending on emergency department (ED) services in recent years has increased faster than spending in any other area of healthcare. Analyzing growth rates of ED treatment costs by patient and hospital attributes may illuminate ways to reduce overall hospital cost growth. Prior studies have examined changes in ED visit charges and expenditures over time, but little research has focused on changes in ED treatment costs. METHODS We analyzed trends in ED treatment costs by applying the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Cost-to-Charge Ratios for ED Files to the 2012-2019 HCUP Nationwide Emergency Department Sample. Specifically, we estimated treatment cost per ED visit, mean and total costs by patient and hospital characteristics, and compound annual growth rate in costs and patient volumes. RESULTS During 2012-2019, ED treatment costs increased from $54 billion to $88 billion, a 5.4% annual growth rate-with 4.4 percentage points attributable to higher treatment cost per visit. Growth rates varied by patient and hospital attribute. CONCLUSIONS By highlighting overall ED cost trends, as well as specific segments of the delivery system with the most rapidly increasing costs, this study provides important information for policymakers and hospital decisionmakers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary Pickens
- IBM Watson Health, 5425 Hollister Avenue, Suite 140, Santa Barbara, CA 93111, USA.
| | - Mark W Smith
- IBM Watson Health, 6710 Rockledge Dr Floors 2A & 3A, Bethesda, MD 20817-1827, USA
| | | | - Amanda Mummert
- IBM Watson Health, 1149 Castro Way, Sacramento, CA 95818, USA.
| | - Zeynal Karaca
- Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857, USA.
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25
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Chen AT, Muralidharan M, Friedman AB. Algorithms Identifying Low Acuity Emergency Department Visits: A Review and Validation Study. Health Serv Res 2022; 57:979-989. [PMID: 35619335 PMCID: PMC9264468 DOI: 10.1111/1475-6773.14011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To characterize and validate the landscape of algorithms that use International Classification of Disease (ICD) codes to identify low acuity emergency department (ED) visits. DATA SOURCES Publicly available ED data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS). STUDY DESIGN We systematically searched for studies that specify algorithms consisting of ICD codes that identify preventable or low acuity ED visits. We classified ED visits in NHAMCS according to these algorithms and compared agreement using the Jaccard index. We then evaluated the performance of each algorithm using positive predictive value (PPV) and sensitivity, with the reference group specified using low acuity composite (LAC) criteria consisting of both triage and clinical components. In sensitivity analyses, we repeated our primary analysis using only triage or only clinical criteria for reference. DATA COLLECTION We used 2011-2017 NHAMCS data, totaling 163,576 observations before survey weighting and after dropping observations missing a primary diagnosis. We translated ICD-9 codes (years 2011-2015) to ICD-10 using a standard crosswalk. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We identified 15 papers with an original list of ICD codes used to identify preventable or low acuity ED presentations. These papers were published between 1992 and 2020, cited an average of 310 (SD 360) times, and included 968 (SD 1175) codes. Pairwise Jaccard similarity indices (0 = no overlap, 1 = perfect congruence) ranged from 0.01 to 0.82, with mean 0.20 (SD 0.13). When validated against the LAC reference group, the algorithms had an average PPV of 0.308 (95% CI [0.253, 0.364]) and sensitivity of 0.183 (95% CI [0.111, 0.256]). Overall, 2.1% of visits identified as low acuity by the algorithms died prehospital or in the ED, or needed surgery, critical care, or cardiac catheterization. CONCLUSIONS Existing algorithms that identify low acuity ED visits lack congruence and are imperfect predictors of visit acuity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela T Chen
- Health Care Management Department, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America.,Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America.,Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Madhavi Muralidharan
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Ari B Friedman
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America.,Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
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26
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Wartelle A, Mourad-Chehade F, Yalaoui F, Questiaux H, Monneret T, Soliveau G, Chrusciel J, Duclos A, Laplanche D, Sanchez S. Multimorbidity clustering of the emergency department patient flow: Impact analysis of new unscheduled care clinics. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0262914. [PMID: 35100301 PMCID: PMC8803184 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0262914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background
In France, the number of emergency department (ED) admissions doubled between 1996 and 2016. To cope with the resulting crowding situation, redirecting patients to new healthcare services was considered a viable solution which would spread demand more evenly across available healthcare delivery points and render care more efficient. The objective of this study was to analyze the impact of opening new on-demand care services based on variations in patient flow at a large hospital emergency department.
Methods
We performed a before-and-after study investigating the use of unscheduled care services in the Aube region in eastern France, that focused on ED attendance at Troyes Hospital. A hierarchical clustering based on co-occurrence of diagnoses was applied which divided the population into different multimorbidity profiles. Temporal trends of the resultant clusters were also studied empirically and using regression models. A multivariate logistic regression model was constructed to adjust the periodic effect for appropriate confounders and therefore confirm its presence.
Results
In total, 120,722 visits to the ED were recorded over a 24-month period (2018–2019) and 16 clusters were identified, accounting for 94.76% of all visits. There was a decrease of 56.77 visits per week in seven specific clusters and an increase of use of unscheduled health care services by 328.12 visits per week.
Conclusions
Using an innovative and reliable methodology to evaluate changes in patient flow through the ED, these findings may help inform public health policy experts on the implementation of unscheduled care services to ease pressure on hospital EDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrien Wartelle
- Computer Science and Digital Society Laboratory (LIST3N), Université de Technologie de Troyes, Troyes, France
- Public Health and Performance Department, Centre Hospitalier de Troyes, Troyes, France
- * E-mail: (SS); (AW)
| | - Farah Mourad-Chehade
- Computer Science and Digital Society Laboratory (LIST3N), Université de Technologie de Troyes, Troyes, France
| | - Farouk Yalaoui
- Computer Science and Digital Society Laboratory (LIST3N), Université de Technologie de Troyes, Troyes, France
| | - Hélène Questiaux
- Emergency Department, Centre Hospitalier de Troyes, Troyes, France
| | | | | | - Jan Chrusciel
- Public Health and Performance Department, Centre Hospitalier de Troyes, Troyes, France
| | - Antoine Duclos
- Research on Healthcare Performance Lab, INSERM U1290 RESHAPE, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France
- Health Data Department, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - David Laplanche
- Public Health and Performance Department, Centre Hospitalier de Troyes, Troyes, France
| | - Stéphane Sanchez
- Public Health and Performance Department, Centre Hospitalier de Troyes, Troyes, France
- Research on Health University Department–University of Reims Champagne Ardenne, Reims, France
- * E-mail: (SS); (AW)
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27
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Tondo G, Aprile D, Tesser F, Comi C. Increased Prevalence of Neuropsychiatric Disorders during COVID-19 Pandemic in People Needing a Non-Deferrable Neurological Evaluation. J Clin Med 2021; 10:jcm10215169. [PMID: 34768689 PMCID: PMC8585111 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10215169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Revised: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The novel coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak provoked a profound healthcare system reorganization. This study aimed to compare the reasons for requesting a non-deferrable neurological evaluation before the COVID-19 pandemic and during the lockdown. Methods: Retrospective observational study including non-deferrable neurological outpatients before the pandemic (pre-COVID-19 group, n = 223) and during the Italian second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (LOCKDOWN group, n = 318). Results: The number of patients sent for cerebrovascular disorders, headache, and vertigo significantly dropped between the pre-COVID-19 era and the lockdown period. While in the pre-COVID-19 group, the most frequent diagnosis was cerebrovascular disorder; neuropsychiatric disorders ranked first in the LOCKDOWN group. Moreover, the percentage of appropriate non-deferrable neurological evaluations significantly increased in the LOCKDOWN group compared with the pre-COVID-19 group. Discussion: Our study shows a significant increase of neuropsychiatric disorders in non-deferrable neurologic evaluations during the Italian second wave of the COVID-19. Overall, cases were more severe and required a more complex management during the lockdown compared with the pre-COVID era. These findings confirm that a careful approach to prevent the psychological consequences of the pandemic is needed, and long-term rearrangements of the healthcare system are desirable to guarantee appropriate management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Tondo
- Neurology Unit, S. Andrea Hospital, Department of Translational Medicine, University of Piemonte Orientale, Corso Abbiate 21, 13100 Vercelli, Italy; (G.T.); (F.T.)
- School of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Davide Aprile
- Department of Translational Medicine, University of Piemonte Orientale, 28100 Novara, Italy;
| | - Fabiana Tesser
- Neurology Unit, S. Andrea Hospital, Department of Translational Medicine, University of Piemonte Orientale, Corso Abbiate 21, 13100 Vercelli, Italy; (G.T.); (F.T.)
| | - Cristoforo Comi
- Neurology Unit, S. Andrea Hospital, Department of Translational Medicine, University of Piemonte Orientale, Corso Abbiate 21, 13100 Vercelli, Italy; (G.T.); (F.T.)
- Department of Translational Medicine, University of Piemonte Orientale, 28100 Novara, Italy;
- Interdisciplinary Research Center of Autoimmune Diseases (IRCAD), University of Piemonte Orientale, 28100 Novara, Italy
- Correspondence:
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28
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Pickens GT, Moore B, Smith MW, McDermott KW, Mummert A, Karaca Z. Methods for estimating the cost of treat-and-release emergency department visits. Health Serv Res 2021; 56:953-961. [PMID: 34350589 DOI: 10.1111/1475-6773.13709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Revised: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate and compare approaches to estimating the service delivery cost of emergency department (ED) visits from total charge data only. DATA SOURCES The 2013-2017 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project's (HCUP) State Emergency Department Databases (SEDD) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Healthcare Cost Report Information System (HCRIS) public use files. STUDY DESIGN Compare a baseline approach (requiring cost-center-level charge detail) and four alternative methods (relying on total charges only) for estimating ED visit costs. Estimation errors are calculated after applying each method to a sample of ED visits, treating estimates from the baseline approach as the "true" cost. Performance metrics are calculated at the visit and hospital levels. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS The charges, revenue center codes, and patient/hospital characteristics were extracted from the SEDD. Detailed costs and charges were extracted from HCRIS public use files. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Baseline ("true") ED visit costs increased from $383 to $420 per visit between 2013 and 2017. Three methods performed comparatively well estimating mean cost per visit. The method using an overall cost-to-charge ratio (CCR) for all ancillary cost centers without regression adjustment (ANC-CCR) performed the worst, overestimating "true" costs by $63-$113 per visit. The other three methods, which used CCRs computed from selected cost centers, exhibited much smaller bias, with two of the methods yielding estimates within $2 of the "true" cost in 2017. Compared with ANC-CCR, the other three methods had more compact estimation error distributions. The estimated mean visit costs from all four methods have relatively small statistical variance, with 95% confidence intervals for mean cost in a hospital with 25,000 ED visits ranging between $4 and $7. CONCLUSIONS When cost-center-level charge detail for ED visits is unavailable, alternative methods relying on total ED charges can estimate ED service costs for patient and hospital segments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Brian Moore
- IBM Watson Health, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | | | | | - Zeynal Karaca
- Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, Maryland, USA
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29
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Long J, Knowles E, Bishop-Edwards L, O'Cathain A. Understanding young adults' reasons for seeking 'clinically unnecessary' urgent and emergency care: A qualitative interview study. Health Expect 2021; 24:1535-1544. [PMID: 34118177 PMCID: PMC8369113 DOI: 10.1111/hex.13301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Studies have identified young adults as more likely to use emergency departments for ‘clinically unnecessary’ problems, with limited similar evidence for emergency ambulance use. Media portrayals depict young adults as motivated by ‘convenience’, but little research has explored the reasons for their help‐seeking behaviour. Methods Qualitative interviews with 16 young adults (18‐30) considered by clinicians to have made unnecessary use of emergency ambulance, emergency department or an urgent GP appointment. Data analysis was informed by interpretive phenomenological analysis. Findings A number of interrelated factors contributed to participants’ decisions. They were anxious about the seriousness of their symptoms, sometimes exacerbated by reduced coping capacity due to poor mental health or life stresses. They looked to others to facilitate their decision making, who sometimes encouraged urgent contact. They wanted to avoid impact on existing day‐to‐day commitments including work or study. They had strong views about different health services, sometimes based on frustration with lack of resolution of on‐going health problems. Convenience was not identified as a significant factor, although some actions could be interpreted in this light if the context was not considered. Conclusions Young adults make ‘clinically unnecessary’ use of urgent and emergency care for more than convenience. Their decisions need to be understood in relation to the complexity of their experience, including lack of confidence in making health‐related decisions, lowered coping capacity and concern to maintain normal daily life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaqui Long
- School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR), University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Emma Knowles
- School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR), University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | | | - Alicia O'Cathain
- School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR), University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
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30
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Williams CA, Haffizulla F. Factors Associated With Avoidable Emergency Department Visits in Broward County, Florida. Cureus 2021; 13:e15593. [PMID: 34277214 PMCID: PMC8272918 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.15593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Improper utilization of emergency departments (EDs) in the United States is an issue that places a large burden on the healthcare system. Previous studies have shown that differences in race, gender, and income level have been associated with avoidable ED visits. Broward County, Florida, is diverse with people from many different socioeconomic backgrounds. The objective of this study is to determine the impact that race/ethnicity, gender, and payment methods have on the rates of avoidable ED visits at hospitals in Broward County, Florida. Methods This study utilized a dataset from the Broward Regional Health Planning Council that included ED visits in Broward County in 2019. Secondary data analysis was conducted utilizing a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with post-hoc analysis to compare the proportions of non-emergent, emergent primary care-treatable, and emergent preventable ED visits amongst different race/ethnicities, genders, and payment/insurance methods. Results Compared to non-Hispanic white patients, non-Hispanic black and Hispanic patients had higher mean rates of non-emergent ED visits. Women had greater mean rates compared to men for non-emergent ED visits; males had higher mean rates than females for emergent primary care-treatable and emergent preventable. Patients covered by Medicaid had greater mean rates of non-emergent and emergent primary care-treatable visits compared to patients using other payment or insurance methods. Conclusions This study identified demographics within Broward County associated with avoidable ED visits. To reduce the burden of ED overutilization on the healthcare system, healthcare providers must better educate the at-risk populations about proper ED use. In addition, a comprehensive assessment of social determinants of health in patients overutilizing the ED will allow for better alignment of resources and policy changes to improve healthcare access and community health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin A Williams
- Emergency Medicine, Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine, Fort Lauderdale, USA
| | - Farzanna Haffizulla
- Internal Medicine, Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Fort Lauderdale, USA
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31
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Giannouchos TV, Kum HC, Gary JC, Morrisey MA, Ohsfeldt RL. The effect of expanded insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act on emergency department utilization in New York. Am J Emerg Med 2021; 48:183-190. [PMID: 33964693 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajem.2021.04.076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Revised: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND One of the proposed benefits of expanding insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was a reduction in emergency department (ED) utilization for non-urgent visits related to lack of health insurance coverage and access to primary care providers. The objective of this study was to estimate the effect of the 2014 ACA implementation on ED use in New York. METHODS We used the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Emergency Department and State Inpatient Databases for all outpatient and all inpatient visits for patients admitted through an ED from 2011 to 2016. We focused on in-state residents aged 18 to 64, who were covered under Medicaid, private insurance, or were uninsured prior to the 2014 expansion. We estimated the effect of the expanded insurance coverage on average monthly ED visits volumes and visits per 1000 residents (rates) using interrupted time-series regression analyses. RESULTS After ACA implementation, overall average monthly ED visits increased by around 3.0%, both in volume (9362; 95% Confidence Intervals [CI]: 1681-17,522) and in rates (0.80, 95% CI:0.12-1.49). Medicaid covered ED visits volume increased by 23,972 visits (95% CI: 16,240 -31,704) while ED visits by the uninsured declined by 13,297 (95% CI:-15,856 - -10,737), and by 1453 (95% CI:-4027-1121) for the privately insured. Medicaid ED visits rates per 1000 residents increased by 0.77 (95% CI:-1.96-3.51) and by 2.18 (95% CI:-0.55-4.92) for those remaining uninsured, while private insurance visits rates decreased by 0.48 (95% CI:-0.79 - -0.18). We observed increases in primary-care treatable ED visits and in visits related to mental health and alcohol disorders, substance use, diabetes, and hypertension. All estimated changes in monthly ED visits after the expansion were statistically significant, except for ED visit rates among Medicaid beneficiaries. CONCLUSION Net ED visits by adults 18 to 64 years of age increased in New York after the implementation of the ACA. Large increases in ED use by Medicaid beneficiaries were partially offset by reductions among the uninsured and those with private coverage. Our results suggest that efforts to expand health insurance coverage only will be unlikely to reverse the increase in ED use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodoros V Giannouchos
- Pharmacotherapy Outcomes Research Center, College of Pharmacy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Population Informatics Lab, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
| | - Hye-Chung Kum
- Population Informatics Lab, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M University, School of Public Health, Department of Health Policy & Management, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Jodie C Gary
- Texas A&M University Health Science Center, College of Nursing, Bryan, TX, USA
| | - Michael A Morrisey
- Population Informatics Lab, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M University, School of Public Health, Department of Health Policy & Management, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Robert L Ohsfeldt
- Population Informatics Lab, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M University, School of Public Health, Department of Health Policy & Management, College Station, TX, USA
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Dumitra T, Ganescu O, Hu R, Fiore JF, Kaneva P, Mayo N, Lee L, Liberman AS, Chaudhury P, Ferri L, Feldman LS. Association Between Patient Activation and Health Care Utilization After Thoracic and Abdominal Surgery. JAMA Surg 2021; 156:e205002. [PMID: 33146682 DOI: 10.1001/jamasurg.2020.5002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Importance Increased patient activation (PA) (ie, knowledge, skills, motivation, confidence to participate in care) may result in improved outcomes, especially in surgical settings. Objective To estimate the extent to which PA is associated with 30-day postdischarge unplanned health care utilization after major thoracic or abdominal surgery. Design, Setting, and Participants This cohort study was performed at 2 centers of a tertiary care hospital network between October 2017 and January 2019. Adult patients undergoing thoracic or abdominal surgery were included. Of 880 patients assessed for eligibility, 692 were deemed eligible, of whom 34 declined to participate, 1 withdrew consent, and 4 were excluded after consent. Exposures Patient activation was measured immediately after surgery during the initial admission using the Patient Activation Measure (score range, 0-100). Patients were dichotomized into low and high PA groups using previously described thresholds (Patient Activation Measure score, ≤55.1). Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was unplanned 30-day postdischarge health care utilization (composite including emergency department and outpatient clinic visits and/or hospital readmission). Secondary outcomes were length of stay, 30-day emergency department visits, 30-day readmissions, and postoperative complications. Results A total of 653 patients admitted for thoracic, general, colorectal, and gynecologic surgery were included in the study (mean [SD] age, 58 [15] years; 369 women [56%]; 366 [56%] had minimally invasive surgery; 52 [8%] had emergency surgery), of which 152 (23%) had a low level of PA. Baseline characteristics were similar between patients with low- and high-level PA. Low PA was associated with unplanned health care utilization (odds ratio [OR], 3.15; 95% CI, 2.05-4.86; P < .001), emergency department visits (OR, 1.64; 95% CI, 1.02-2.64; P = .04), complications (OR, 1.63; 95% CI, 1.11-2.41; P = .01), and length of stay (adjusted mean difference, 1.19 days; 95% CI, 0.06-2.33; P = .04). Low PA was not associated with a higher risk of readmission (adjusted OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.56-1.93; P = .90). Conclusions and Relevance In this study, low level of PA was associated with postdischarge unplanned health care use, hospital stay, and complications after major surgery. Identification of patients with low activation may allow the implementation of interventions to improve health care knowledge and support self-management postdischarge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teodora Dumitra
- Steinberg-Bernstein Centre for Minimally Invasive Surgery and Innovation, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Department of Surgery, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Olivia Ganescu
- Steinberg-Bernstein Centre for Minimally Invasive Surgery and Innovation, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Richard Hu
- Steinberg-Bernstein Centre for Minimally Invasive Surgery and Innovation, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Julio F Fiore
- Steinberg-Bernstein Centre for Minimally Invasive Surgery and Innovation, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Department of Surgery, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Pepa Kaneva
- Steinberg-Bernstein Centre for Minimally Invasive Surgery and Innovation, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Nancy Mayo
- Division of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Lawrence Lee
- Steinberg-Bernstein Centre for Minimally Invasive Surgery and Innovation, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Department of Surgery, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - A Sender Liberman
- Department of Surgery, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Prosanto Chaudhury
- Department of Surgery, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Lorenzo Ferri
- Department of Surgery, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Liane S Feldman
- Steinberg-Bernstein Centre for Minimally Invasive Surgery and Innovation, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Department of Surgery, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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Pronovost PJ, Urwin JW, Beck E, Coran JJ, Sundaramoorthy A, Schario ME, Muisyo JM, Sague J, Shea S, Runnels P, Zeiger T, Topalsky G, Wilhelm A, Palakodeti S, Navathe AS. Making a Dent in the Trillion-Dollar Problem: Toward Zero Defects. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2021. [DOI: 10.1056/cat.19.1064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Peter J. Pronovost
- Chief Clinical Transformation and Quality Officer, University Hospitals, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - John W. Urwin
- Clinical Fellow in Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Eric Beck
- Chief Operating Officer, University Hospitals, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Justin J. Coran
- Senior Data Scientist, University Hospitals, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | | | - Mark E. Schario
- Vice President, Population Health, and President of University Hospitals Quality Care Network, University Hospitals, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - James M. Muisyo
- Data Scientist, Analytics, University Hospitals, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Jonathan Sague
- Vice President, UH Ventures Clinical Operations, University Hospitals, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Susan Shea
- Senior Actuarial Analyst, University Hospitals, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Patrick Runnels
- Chief Medical Officer, Population Health-Behavioral Health, and Director of Population Health Education, University Hospitals, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Todd Zeiger
- Vice President, UH Primary Care Institute, University Hospitals, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - George Topalsky
- Vice President, UH Primary Care Institute, University Hospitals, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | | | - Sandeep Palakodeti
- Chief Medical Officer, Population Health, University Hospitals, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Amol S. Navathe
- Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Medicine, Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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Emergency department care coordination strategies and perceived impact under Maryland's hospital payment reforms. Am J Emerg Med 2020; 45:578-589. [PMID: 33402309 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajem.2020.12.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Emergency department (ED) care coordination plays an important role in facilitating care transitions across settings. We studied ED care coordination processes and their perceived effectiveness in Maryland (MD) hospitals, which face strong incentives to reduce hospital-based care through global budgets. METHODS We conducted a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews to examine ED care coordination processes and perceptions of effectiveness. Interviews were conducted from January through October 2019 across MD hospital-based EDs. Results were reviewed to assign analytic domains and identify emerging themes. Descriptive statistics of ED care coordination staffing and processes were also calculated. RESULTS A total of 25 in-depth interviews across 18 different EDs were conducted with ED physician leadership (n = 14) and care coordination staff (CCS) (n = 11). Across all EDs, there was significant variation in the hours and types of CCS coverage and the number of initiatives implemented to improve care coordination. Participants perceived ED care coordination as effective in facilitating safer discharges and addressing social determinants of health; however, adequate access to outpatient providers was a significant barrier. The majority of ED physician leaders perceived MD's policy reform as having a mixed impact, with improved care transitions and overall patient care as benefits, but increased physician workloads and worsened ED throughput as negative effects. CONCLUSIONS EDs have responded to the value-based care incentives of MD's global budgeting program with investments to enhance care coordination staffing and a variety of initiatives targeting specific patient populations. Although the observed care coordination initiatives were broadly perceived to produce positive results, MD's global budgeting policies were also perceived to produce barriers to optimizing ED care. Further research is needed to determine the association of the various strategies to improve ED care coordination with patient outcomes to inform practice leaders and policymakers on the efficacy of the various approaches.
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Taylor H, Holmes AM, Blackburn J. Prevalence of and factors associated with unmet dental need among the US adult population in 2016. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 2020; 49:346-353. [PMID: 33274505 DOI: 10.1111/cdoe.12607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Revised: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Understanding and addressing contributing factors to unmet dental need is an important public health challenge. This study investigated the prevalence of, and factors associated with, self-reported unmet dental need using a nationally representative sample of US adults. METHODS This was a cross-sectional study using the Medical Expenditures Panel Survey (MEPS) from 2016. The weighted prevalence of unmet dental need was estimated among individuals aged 18 years or older. Chi-squared and multivariate logit regression with marginal effects (ie absolute risk differences) were used to measure the association of unmet dental need with respondent characteristics. RESULTS The prevalence of adults reporting unmet dental need was 6% (95% CI: 5.5 to 6.5). Adults with dental insurance were 1.7 percentage points (95% CI: -2.8 to -0.6) less likely to report unmet dental needs than adults without dental insurance. Those with middle income were 2.3 percentage points (95% CI: 1.2 to 3.4), those with low income were 3.3 percentage points (95% CI: 1.7 to 5.0), and those with poor/negative/near-poor income were 4.2 percentage points (95% CI: 2.7 to 5.7) more likely to report an unmet dental need than adults with high income. Both Hispanics (-1.7 percentage points [95% CI: -2.8 to -0.6]) and non-Hispanic Blacks (-1.1 percentage points [95% CI: -2.1 to -0.1]) were less likely to report an unmet dental need than whites. Smoking, education, general health status, chronic disease and marital status were also significantly associated with reporting an unmet dental need. CONCLUSIONS Future policies should continue to address cost and coverage barriers to adult dental care, as these remain significant barriers to access, particularly for low-income adults. Future research should evaluate the reasons adults report unmet dental need and explore how adults' judgment of dental need compares to providers' clinical judgment. Additionally, research that explores how race and ethnicity affect perceptions of unmet dental need is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather Taylor
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Indiana University Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Ann M Holmes
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Indiana University Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Justin Blackburn
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Indiana University Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health, Indianapolis, IN, USA
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Lesser A, Israni J, Lo AX, Ko KJ. Older adult visits to the emergency department for ambulatory care sensitive conditions. J Am Coll Emerg Physicians Open 2020; 1:824-828. [PMID: 33145526 PMCID: PMC7593478 DOI: 10.1002/emp2.12164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Revised: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Ambulatory-care-sensitive conditions (ACSCs) represent emergency department (ED) visits and hospital admissions that might have been avoided through earlier primary care intervention. We characterize the current frequency and cost of ACSCs among older adults (≥65 years of age) in the ED. METHODS This study is a retrospective analysis of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) national claims data distributed by the Research Data Assistance Center, a CMS contractor based at the University of Minnesota. We analyzed outpatient ED-based national claims data for visits made by traditional fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare beneficiaries in 2016. ACSCs were identified according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's Prevention Quality Indicators criteria, which require that the ACSC be the primary diagnosis for the visit. Analysis was done in Alteryx and R. RESULTS We documented nearly 1.8 million ACSC ED visits in 2016, finding that ≈10.6% of all ED visits by older adult FFS Medicare beneficiaries were associated with an ACSC. ACSC ED visits resulted in admission more often (39.7%) than non-ACSC ED visits (23.9%). Notably, 83% of patients with short-term complications from diabetes were admitted. CONCLUSIONS ED visits for a primary diagnosis of an ACSC highlight opportunities to improve access to preventive care, particularly earlier recognition and treatment of patients' deteriorating conditions that could have potentially precluded the need for the ED visit. An opportunity exists to leverage ED-based initiatives during an ACSC ED visit to support appropriate community and care transitions of these high-risk patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Alexander X. Lo
- Department of Emergency Medicine and Center for Healthcare StudiesNorthwestern UniversityChicagoIllinoisUSA
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Esteban PL, Querolt Coll J, Xicola Martínez M, Camí Biayna J, Delgado-Flores L. Has COVID-19 affected the number and severity of visits to a traumatology emergency department? Bone Jt Open 2020; 1:617-620. [PMID: 33215092 PMCID: PMC7659661 DOI: 10.1302/2633-1462.110.bjo-2020-0120.r1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Aims To assess the impact of the declaration of the state of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic on the number of visits to a traumatology emergency department (ED), and on their severity. Methods Retrospective observational study. All visits to a traumatology ED were recorded, except for consultations for genitourinary, ocular and abdominal trauma and other ailments that did not have a musculoskeletal aetiology. Visit data were collected from March 14 to April 13 2020, and were subsequently compared with the visits recorded during the same periods in the previous two years. Results The number of visits dropped from a mean of 3,212 in 2018 to 2019 to 445 in 2020. Triage 1 to 3 level visits rose from 21.6% in 2018 to 2019% to 40.4% in 2020, meaning a reduction in minor injury visits and an increase in major ones. There was a relative reduction of 13.2% in femoral fractures in the elderly. The rate of justified visits rose from 22.3% to 48.1%. Conclusion A marked drop in the total number of visits to our traumatology ED was observed, as well as a relative increase in major injury visits and a relative fall in the minor ones.Cite this article: Bone Joint Open 2020;1-10:617-620.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro L Esteban
- Orthopaedic Department, Althaia, Xarxa Assistencial Universitária de Manresa, Manresa, Spain
| | - Jordi Querolt Coll
- Orthopaedic Department, Althaia, Xarxa Assistencial Universitária de Manresa, Manresa, Spain
| | - Marina Xicola Martínez
- Orthopaedic Department, Althaia, Xarxa Assistencial Universitária de Manresa, Manresa, Spain
| | - Joan Camí Biayna
- Orthopaedic Department, Althaia, Xarxa Assistencial Universitária de Manresa, Manresa, Spain
| | - Luis Delgado-Flores
- Orthopaedic Department, Althaia, Xarxa Assistencial Universitária de Manresa, Manresa, Spain
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Kraus CK, Moskop JC, Marshall KD, Bookman K. Ethical issues in access to and delivery of emergency department care in an era of changing reimbursement and novel payment models. J Am Coll Emerg Physicians Open 2020; 1:276-280. [PMID: 33000043 PMCID: PMC7493566 DOI: 10.1002/emp2.12067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Revised: 03/09/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Hospital emergency departments (EDs) and the emergency physicians, nurses, and other health professionals who provide emergency care in them, are a critical component of the United States (US) health care system in the 21st century. Although access to emergency care has become a de facto right in the United States, funding for emergency care is fragmented and complex, which causes confusion and conflict about who should bear the cost of care. This article examines the tension between universal access to emergency care in the United States and the fragmentary, tenuous, and contentious financial arrangements that make it possible, viewing the issue in context of the historical development, legal and moral foundations, current situation, and future challenges of ED care in the United States. It begins with a review of the origins and evolution of emergency care and of hospital EDs in the United States. It then examines arguments for a right to emergency medical care and for shared obligations of patients to seek and of professionals and society to provide that care. Finally, it reviews current strategies and future prospects for protecting access to emergency care for patients who require it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chadd K. Kraus
- Department of Emergency MedicineGeisinger Health SystemDanvillePennsylvania
| | - John C. Moskop
- Department of Internal MedicineWake Forest School of MedicineWinston‐SalemNorth Carolina
| | | | - Kelly Bookman
- Department of Emergency MedicineUniversity of ColoradoDenverColorado
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Lin CY, Lee YC. Appropriateness of emergency care use: a retrospective observational study based on professional versus patients' perspectives in Taiwan. BMJ Open 2020; 10:e033833. [PMID: 32398332 PMCID: PMC7223150 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-033833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The objectives of this study are to refine the measurement of appropriate emergency department (ED) use and to provide a natural observation of appropriate ED use rates based on professional versus patient perspectives. SETTING Taiwan has a population of 23 million, with one single-payer universal health insurance scheme. Taiwan has no limitations on ED use, and a low barrier to ED use may be a surrogate for natural observation of users' perspectives in ED use. PARTICIPANTS In 7 years, there were 1 835 860 ED visits from one million random samples of the National Health Insurance Database. MEASURES Appropriate ED use was determined according to professional standards, measured by the modified Billings New York University Emergency Department (NYU-ED) algorithm, and further analysed after the addition of prudent patient standards, measured by explicit process-based and outcome-based criteria. STATISTICAL ANALYSES The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was used to reflect the performance of appropriate ED use measures, and sensitivity analyses were conducted using different thresholds to determine the appropriateness of ED use. The generalised estimating equation model was used to measure the associations between appropriate ED use based on process and outcome criteria and covariates including sex, age, occupation, health status, place of residence, medical resources area, date and income level. RESULTS Appropriate ED use based on professional criteria was 33.5%, which increased to 63.1% when patient criteria were added. The AUC, which combines both professional and patient criteria, was high (0.85). CONCLUSIONS The appropriate ED use rate nearly doubled when patient criteria were added to professional criteria. Explicit process-based and outcome-based criteria may be used as a supplementary measure to the implicit modified Billings NYU-ED algorithm when determining appropriate ED use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chih-Yuan Lin
- Neurology, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Health and Welfare Policy, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yue-Chune Lee
- Institute of Health and Welfare Policy, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
- Master Program on Trans-disciplinary Long-Term Care and Management, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
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O’Cathain A, Knowles E, Long J, Connell J, Bishop-Edwards L, Simpson R, Coster J, Abouzeid L, Bennett S, Croot E, Dickson JM, Goodacre S, Hirst E, Jacques R, Phillips M, Turnbull J, Turner J. Drivers of ‘clinically unnecessary’ use of emergency and urgent care: the DEUCE mixed-methods study. HEALTH SERVICES AND DELIVERY RESEARCH 2020. [DOI: 10.3310/hsdr08150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background
There is widespread concern about the pressure on emergency and urgent services in the UK, particularly emergency ambulances, emergency departments and same-day general practitioner appointments. A mismatch between supply and demand has led to interest in what can be termed ‘clinically unnecessary’ use of services. This is defined by the research team in this study as ‘patients attending services with problems that are classified as suitable for treatment by a lower urgency service or self-care’. This is a challenging issue to consider because patients may face difficulties when deciding the best action to take, and different staff may make different judgements about what constitutes a legitimate reason for service use.
Objectives
To identify the drivers of ‘clinically unnecessary’ use of emergency ambulances, emergency departments and same-day general practitioner appointments from patient and population perspectives.
Design
This was a sequential mixed-methods study with three components: a realist review; qualitative interviews (n = 48) and focus groups (n = 3) with patients considered ‘clinically unnecessary’ users of these services, focusing on parents of young children, young adults and people in areas of social deprivation; and a population survey (n = 2906) to explore attitudes towards seeking care for unexpected, non-life-threatening health problems and to identify the characteristics of someone with a tendency for ‘clinically unnecessary’ help-seeking.
Results
From the results of the three study components, we found that multiple, interacting drivers influenced individuals’ decision-making. Drivers could be grouped into symptom related, patient related and health service related. Symptom-related drivers were anxiety or need for reassurance, which were caused by uncertainty about the meaning or seriousness of symptoms; concern about the impact of symptoms on daily activities/functioning; and a need for immediate relief of intolerable symptoms, particularly pain. Patient-related drivers were reduced coping capacity as a result of illness, stress or limited resources; fear of consequences when responsible for another person’s health, particularly a child; and the influence of social networks. Health service-related drivers were perceptions or previous experiences of services, particularly the attractions of emergency departments; a lack of timely access to an appropriate general practitioner appointment; and compliance with health service staff’s advice.
Limitations
Difficulty recruiting patients who had used the ambulance service to the interviews and focus groups meant that we were not able to add as much as we had anticipated to the limited evidence base regarding this service.
Conclusions
Patients use emergency ambulances, emergency departments and same-day general practitioner appointments when they may not need the level of clinical care provided by these services for a multitude of inter-related reasons that sometimes differ by population subgroup. Some of these reasons relate to health services, in terms of difficulty accessing general practice leading to use of emergency departments, and to population-learnt behaviour concerning the positive attributes of emergency departments, rather than to patient characteristics. Social circumstances, such as complex and stressful lives, influence help-seeking for all three services. Demand may be ‘clinically unnecessary’ but completely understandable when service accessibility and patients’ social circumstances are considered.
Future work
There is a need to evaluate interventions, including changing service configuration, strengthening general practice and addressing the stressors that have an impact on people’s coping capacity. Different subgroups may require different interventions.
Study registration
This study is registered as PROSPERO CRD42017056273.
Funding
This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Services and Delivery Research programme and will be published in full in Health Services and Delivery Research; Vol. 8, No. 15. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia O’Cathain
- School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR), University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Emma Knowles
- School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR), University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Jaqui Long
- School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR), University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Janice Connell
- School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR), University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | | | - Rebecca Simpson
- School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR), University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Joanne Coster
- School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR), University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | | | | | - Elizabeth Croot
- School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR), University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Jon M Dickson
- Academic Unit of Primary Medical Care, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Steve Goodacre
- School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR), University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Enid Hirst
- Sheffield Emergency Care Forum, Sheffield, UK
| | - Richard Jacques
- School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR), University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | | | | | - Janette Turner
- School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR), University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
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Roberts RM, Bohm MK, Bartoces MG, Fleming-Dutra KE, Hicks LA, Chalmers NI. Antibiotic and opioid prescribing for dental-related conditions in emergency departments: United States, 2012 through 2014. J Am Dent Assoc 2020; 151:174-181.e1. [PMID: 31959329 DOI: 10.1016/j.adaj.2019.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2019] [Revised: 11/07/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients visiting the emergency department (ED) for nontraumatic dental conditions usually receive nondefinitive health care and are referred to treatment elsewhere. This may lead to potentially avoidable antibiotic and opioid use. METHODS A retrospective study was conducted in IBM MarketScan Research Databases in Treatment Pathways from 2012 through 2014. This study included patients with commercial insurance or enrolled in Medicaid. Patients receiving a diagnosis of a dental condition in the ED with no secondary diagnosis warranting an antibiotic prescription were included. Patients were stratified on the basis of the primary payer and available demographics, as well as on the basis of repeat visits to the ED. RESULTS A higher proportion of Medicaid beneficiaries (280,410, 4.9%) had dental-related visits compared with the commercially insured (159,066, 1.3%). The most common diagnoses were similar for both groups and included caries. In both cohorts, the 18- through 34-year age group had the highest rate of dental-related ED visits. Within 7 days of a dental-related ED visit, 54.9% of Medicaid beneficiaries and 55.0% of commercially insured beneficiaries filled a prescription for an antibiotic and 39.6% of Medicaid patients and 42.0% of commercially insured patients filled an opioid prescription. CONCLUSIONS Antibiotics and opioids are frequently prescribed during ED visits for dental conditions. Access to preventive and acute oral health care for routine dental symptoms, such as caries, may reduce unnecessary prescriptions in both the commercially insured and Medicaid beneficiary populations. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS Treatment of dental conditions in the ED often indicates a lack of access to preventive or acute oral health care. Data-driven solutions, such as guideline implementation, could improve oral health access, reduce medication-related harms, and avert health care expenditures.
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Howell P, Elkin PL. Can Solo Practitioners Survive in Value-Based Healthcare? Validating a Predicative Model for ED Utilization. Stud Health Technol Inform 2019; 264:1682-1683. [PMID: 31438291 DOI: 10.3233/shti190595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The health industry will see increased implementations of value-based models. This study validates a predictive model for determining emergency room utilization. Data from 2991 records are used for the analysis. To validate the model we used Poisson and random forest models. The results indicate that patients with one of six chronic conditions, who missed scheduled appointments or had higher body mass indexes were more likely to utilize the emergency department.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamella Howell
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, United States
| | - Peter L Elkin
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, United States
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43
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Haugland H, Uleberg O, Klepstad P, Krüger A, Rehn M. Quality measurement in physician-staffed emergency medical services: a systematic literature review. Int J Qual Health Care 2019; 31:2-10. [PMID: 29767795 PMCID: PMC6387994 DOI: 10.1093/intqhc/mzy106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2017] [Revised: 02/14/2018] [Accepted: 04/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Quality measurement of physician-staffed emergency medical services (P-EMS) is necessary to improve service quality. Knowledge and consensus on this topic are scarce, making quality measurement of P-EMS a high-priority research area. The aim of this review was to identify, describe and evaluate studies of quality measurement in P-EMS. Data sources The databases of MEDLINE and Embase were searched initially, followed by a search for included article citations in Scopus. Study selection The study eligibility criteria were: (1) articles describing the use of one quality indicator (QI) or more in P-EMS, (2) original manuscripts, (3) articles published from 1 January 1968 until 5 October 2016. The literature search identified 4699 records. 4543 were excluded after reviewing title and abstract. An additional 129 were excluded based on a full-text review. The remaining 27 papers were included in the analysis. Methodological quality was assessed using an adapted critical appraisal tool. Data extraction The description of used QIs and methods of quality measurement was extracted. Variables describing the involved P-EMSs were extracted as well. Results of data synthesis In the included papers, a common understanding of which QIs to use in P-EMS did not exist. Fifteen papers used only a single QI. The most widely used QIs were ‘Adherence to medical protocols’, ‘Provision of advanced interventions’, ‘Response time’ and ‘Adverse events’. Conclusion The review demonstrated a lack of shared understanding of which QIs to use in P-EMS. Moreover, papers using only one QI dominated the literature, thus increasing the risk of a narrow perspective in quality measurement. Future quality measurement in P-EMS should rely on a set of consensus-based QIs, ensuring a comprehensive approach to quality measurement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helge Haugland
- Department of Research and Development, Norwegian Air Ambulance Foundation, Drøbak, Norway.,Department of Emergency Medicine and Pre-Hospital Services, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim, Norway.,Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Medical Faculty, NTNU, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Oddvar Uleberg
- Department of Research and Development, Norwegian Air Ambulance Foundation, Drøbak, Norway.,Department of Emergency Medicine and Pre-Hospital Services, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim, Norway.,Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Medical Faculty, NTNU, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Pål Klepstad
- Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Medical Faculty, NTNU, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.,Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, St. Olav University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Andreas Krüger
- Department of Research and Development, Norwegian Air Ambulance Foundation, Drøbak, Norway.,Department of Emergency Medicine and Pre-Hospital Services, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim, Norway.,Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Medical Faculty, NTNU, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Marius Rehn
- Department of Research and Development, Norwegian Air Ambulance Foundation, Drøbak, Norway.,Department of Health Studies, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway.,Division of Emergencies and Critical Care, Department of Anaesthesia, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
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Characteristics of Non-Emergent Visits in Emergency Departments: Profiles and Longitudinal Pattern Changes in Taiwan, 2000-2010. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2019; 16:ijerph16111999. [PMID: 31195627 PMCID: PMC6603954 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16111999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Revised: 05/26/2019] [Accepted: 06/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
An increasing number of emergency department (ED) visits have posed a challenge to health systems in many countries, but an understanding of non-emergent ED visits has remained limited and contentious. This retrospective study analyzed ED visits using three representative cohorts from routine data to explore the profiles and longitudinal pattern changes of non-emergent ED visits in Taiwan. Systematic-, personal-, and ED visit-level data were analyzed using a logistic regression model. Average marginal effects were calculated to compare the effects of each factor. The annual ED visit rate increased up to 261.3 per 1000 population in 2010, and a significant one-third of visits were considered as non-emergent. The rapidly growing utilization of ED visits underwent a watershed change after cost-sharing payments between patients and medical institutions were increased in 2005. In addition to cohort effects resulting from cost-sharing payment changes, all factors were significantly associated with non-emergent ED visits with different levels of impact. We concluded that non-emergent ED visits were associated with multifaceted factors, but the change to cost-sharing payment, being female, younger age, and geographical residence were the most predictive factors. This information would enhance the implementation of evidence-based strategies to optimize ED use.
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45
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Giannouchos TV, Kum HC, Foster MJ, Ohsfeldt RL. Characteristics and predictors of adult frequent emergency department users in the United States: A systematic literature review. J Eval Clin Pract 2019; 25:420-433. [PMID: 31044484 DOI: 10.1111/jep.13137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2018] [Revised: 03/08/2019] [Accepted: 03/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
STUDY OBJECTIVE We conducted a systematic literature review to identify and to update patient characteristics and contextual factors for adult frequent emergency department users (FEDUs) compared with non-FEDU in an era where the US health care system underwent substantial changes. METHODS We searched MEDLINE, CINAHL, and EMBASE to identify all relevant articles after 2010 through July 2018 that describe FEDU. We included US studies on adult FEDU only and excluded studies on specific subgroups of FEDU. We included demographic, clinical, and health care utilization information, and two reviewers independently evaluated the studies using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal tool. RESULTS The 11 studies included in the review indicated that FEDU were 4% to 16% of total ED users but accounted for 14% to 47% of ED visits, with six to nine visits per year on average. The majority of FEDU were young or middle-aged adults, females, of low socioeconomic status and high school or less education, with public insurance, multiple primary care provider visits, and chronic conditions. Fair or poor self-perceived health status, unemployment, unmet needs from primary care providers (PCPs), mental health, and substance abuse were predictors of FEDU. CONCLUSION FEDUs are disproportionally sicker and are also heavy users of non-ED health care service providers. The limited data for non-ED health services use in facility-specific studies of FEDU may contribute to findings in such studies that complex and unmet needs from PCPs contributed to ED visits. This suggests the need for more comprehensive data analysis beyond a few sites that can inform systemic management approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodoros V Giannouchos
- Department of Health Policy & Management, School of Public Health, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.,Population Informatics Lab, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Hye-Chung Kum
- Department of Health Policy & Management, School of Public Health, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.,Population Informatics Lab, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.,Department of Computer Science & Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.,Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Margaret J Foster
- Medical Sciences Library, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Robert L Ohsfeldt
- Department of Health Policy & Management, School of Public Health, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.,Population Informatics Lab, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
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Gregg A, Tutek J, Leatherwood MD, Crawford W, Friend R, Crowther M, McKinney R. Systematic Review of Community Paramedicine and EMS Mobile Integrated Health Care Interventions in the United States. Popul Health Manag 2019; 22:213-222. [PMID: 30614761 DOI: 10.1089/pop.2018.0114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Emergency medical services (EMS) in the United States are frequently used for nonurgent medical needs. Use of 911 and the emergency department (ED) for primary care-treatable conditions is expensive, inefficient, and undesirable for patients and providers. The objective is to describe the outcomes from community paramedicine (CP) and mobile integrated health care (MIH) interventions related to the Quadruple Aim. Three electronic databases were searched for peer-review literature on CP-MIH interventions in the United States. Eight articles reporting data from 7 interventions were included. Four studies reported high levels of patient satisfaction, and only 3 measured health outcomes. No study reported provider satisfaction measures. Reducing ED and inpatient utilization were the most common study outcomes, and programs generally were successful at reducing utilization. With reduced utilization, costs should be reduced; however, most studies did not quantify savings. Future studies should conduct economic analyses that not only compare the intervention to traditional EMS services, but also measure potential cost savings to the EMS agencies running the intervention. Most cost savings from reduced utilization will be to insurance companies and patients, but more efficient use of EMS agencies' resources could lead to cost savings that could offset intervention implementation costs. The other 3 aims (health, patient satisfaction, and provider satisfaction) were reported inconsistently in these studies and need to be addressed further. Given the small number of heterogeneous studies reviewed, the potential for CP-MIH interventions to comprehensively address the Quadruple Aim is still unclear, and more research on these programs is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abbey Gregg
- 1 Institute for Rural Health Research, College of Community Health Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
| | - Joshua Tutek
- 2 Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
| | - Matthew D Leatherwood
- 3 Department of Kinesiology, College of Education, The University of Alabama, Moore Hall, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
| | - William Crawford
- 1 Institute for Rural Health Research, College of Community Health Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
- 4 Office of EMS, Alabama Department of Public Health, Montgomery, Alabama
| | - Richard Friend
- 5 Department of Family, Internal, and Rural Medicine and College of Community Health Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
| | - Martha Crowther
- 1 Institute for Rural Health Research, College of Community Health Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
- 5 Department of Family, Internal, and Rural Medicine and College of Community Health Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
| | - Robert McKinney
- 6 Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, College of Community Health Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
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VanWormer JJ, Tambe SR, Acharya A. Oral Health Literacy and Outcomes in Rural Wisconsin Adults. J Rural Health 2018; 35:12-21. [DOI: 10.1111/jrh.12337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2018] [Revised: 09/24/2018] [Accepted: 10/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey J. VanWormer
- Center for Oral and Systemic Health; Marshfield Clinic Research Institute; Marshfield Wisconsin
| | - Sailee R. Tambe
- School of Public Health; University of Minnesota; Minneapolis Minnesota
| | - Amit Acharya
- Center for Oral and Systemic Health; Marshfield Clinic Research Institute; Marshfield Wisconsin
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48
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Roberts RM, Hersh AL, Shapiro DJ, Fleming-Dutra KE, Hicks LA. Antibiotic Prescriptions Associated With Dental-Related Emergency Department Visits. Ann Emerg Med 2018; 74:45-49. [PMID: 30392733 DOI: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2018.09.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2018] [Revised: 08/16/2018] [Accepted: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
STUDY OBJECTIVE The frequency of antibiotic prescribing and types of antibiotics prescribed for dental conditions presenting to the emergency department (ED) is not well known. The objective of this study is to quantify how often and which dental diagnoses made in the ED resulted in an antibiotic prescription. METHODS From 2011 to 2015, there were an estimated 2.2 million (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.9 to 2.5 million) ED visits per year for dental-related conditions, which accounted for 1.6% (95% CI 1.5% to 1.7%) of ED visits. This is based on an unweighted 2,125 observations from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey in which a dental-related diagnosis was made. RESULTS An antibiotic, most often a narrow-spectrum penicillin or clindamycin, was prescribed in 65% (95% CI 61% to 68%) of ED visits with any dental diagnosis. The most common dental diagnoses for all ages were unspecified disorder of the teeth and supporting structures (44%; 95% CI 41% to 48%; International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification[ICD-9-CM] code 525.9), periapical abscess without sinus (21%; 95% CI 18% to 25%; ICD-9-CM code 522.5), and dental caries (18%; 95% CI 15% to 22%; ICD-9-CM code 521.0). Recommended treatments for these conditions are usually dental procedures rather than antibiotics. CONCLUSION The common use of antibiotics for dental conditions in the ED may indicate the need for greater access to both preventive and urgent care from dentists and other related specialists as well as the need for clearer clinical guidance and provider education related to oral infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca M Roberts
- Office of Antibiotic Stewardship, Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Atlanta, GA.
| | - Adam L Hersh
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
| | - Daniel J Shapiro
- Boston Combined Residency Program in Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Katherine E Fleming-Dutra
- Office of Antibiotic Stewardship, Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Atlanta, GA
| | - Lauri A Hicks
- Office of Antibiotic Stewardship, Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Atlanta, GA
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49
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Himmelstein DU, Woolhandler S, Almberg M, Fauke C. The Ongoing U.S. Health Care Crisis: A Data Update. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HEALTH SERVICES 2018; 48:209-222. [PMID: 29566642 DOI: 10.1177/0020731418764073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
While efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act were narrowly defeated, grave problems in health care persist. Twenty-eight million remain uninsured, a number that is likely to increase. Millions more who have coverage cannot afford care because of high cost-sharing requirements. Meanwhile, the corporate takeover of medical care in the United States is at a gallop. This article provides a brief précis of recent data on U.S. health policy.
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Affiliation(s)
- David U Himmelstein
- 1 Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.,2 CUNY Hunter College, New York, New York, USA
| | - Steffie Woolhandler
- 1 Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.,2 CUNY Hunter College, New York, New York, USA
| | - Mark Almberg
- 3 Physicians for a National Health Program, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Clare Fauke
- 3 Physicians for a National Health Program, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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