The Southern Medical Journal (SMJ) is the official, peer-reviewed journal of the Southern Medical Association. It has a multidisciplinary and inter-professional focus that covers a broad range of topics relevant to physicians and other healthcare specialists.
SMJ // Article
Invited Commentary
Commentary on “Two Types of Prehospital Systems Interventions that Triage Low-Acuity Patients to Alternative Sites of Care”
Abstract
Throughout the developed world, availability of care in an emergency department (ED), often as part of an inpatient care facility, is a staple of the social safety net. In the United States annual usage rates continue to climb, with a record 134 million visits nationwide in 2012.1 Of these patients, approximately 14% required admission for further care; the remaining 86% were able to be discharged.1 This suggests that at least some portion of those patients could have been treated in other settings.This content is limited to qualifying members.
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References
1. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. NEDS overview. Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP). www.hcup-us.ahrq.gov/nedsoverview.jsp. Published December 2014. Accessed May 18, 2015.
2. New England Healthcare Institute. A matter of urgency: reducing emergency department overuse. A NEHI Research Brief--March 2010. http://www.nehi.net/writable/publication_files/file/nehi_ed_overuse_issue_brief_032610finaledits.pdf. Accessed May 13, 2015.
3. Sacchetti A, Harris RH, Warden T, et al. Contribution of ED admissions to inpatient hospital revenue. Am J Emerg Med 2002;20:30-31.
4. Purdy S. Avoiding hospital admissions: what does the research evidence say? http://www.kingsfund.org.uk/sites/files/kf/Avoiding-Hospital-Admissions-Sarah-Purdy-December2010.pdf. Published December 2010. Accessed May 13, 2015.
5. Krumperman K, Weiss S, Fullerton L. Two types of prehospital systems interventions that triage low-acuity patients to alternative sites of care. South Med J 2015;108:381-386.
