ED-based care coordination reduces costs for frequent ED users.

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Quality Improvement in Healthcare
• Emergency Medicine

Background:

• Frequent emergency department (ED) users contribute significantly to healthcare costs and resource utilization.
• Effective care coordination strategies are needed to manage this patient population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a pilot quality improvement intervention aimed at improving care coordination for frequent ED users.
• To assess the intervention's impact on ED visits, hospitalizations, and costs.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 72 frequent ED users.
• The intervention group received support from a community health worker and an ED-based clinical team.
• The control group received usual care.

Main Results:

• Patients in the intervention group showed a 35% reduction in ED visits and a 31% reduction in hospital admissions.
• Direct costs per patient were lower for the intervention group (ED: 15% lower, inpatient: 8% lower).

Conclusions:

• ED-based care coordination is a promising strategy for reducing healthcare utilization among frequent ED users.
• This approach demonstrates potential for cost savings within healthcare systems.