Discharge Information and Support for Patients Discharged from the Emergency Department: Results from a Randomized...

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Primary Care Medicine
• Nursing Interventions

Background:

• Limited research exists on primary care models to improve healthcare utilization post-emergency department (ED) visit.
• Effective strategies are needed to manage Veterans transitioning from ED care to primary care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a primary care-based nurse telephone support intervention for Veterans discharged from the ED.
• To assess the intervention's impact on repeat ED visits and healthcare engagement.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 513 high-risk Veterans.
• Participants were assigned to either a nurse telephone support intervention or usual care.
• The intervention involved post-ED visit calls focused on care transition and chronic disease management.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in repeat ED visits at 30 days between the intervention (24.9%) and usual care (23.1%) groups.
• The intervention group showed increased primary care visits (OR=1.6) within 30 days.
• At 180 days, the intervention group had higher utilization of weight management, diabetes/nutrition, and telehealth services.

Conclusions:

• A brief primary care nurse telephone support program did not reduce 30-day repeat ED visits.
• The intervention enhanced patient engagement with primary care and specific chronic disease management services.
• Further research may explore optimizing telephone support for post-ED care transitions.