How do we identify acute medical admissions that are suitable for same day emergency care?

Medical emergencies causing unplanned hospital admission place considerable demands on acute healthcare services. Some patients can be assessed and treated through ambulatory pathways without inpatient admission, via same day emergency care (SDEC), potentially benefiting patients and reducing demands on inpatient services. There is currently considerable variation within acute medicine in aspects of SDEC delivery ranging from overall service design to patient selection methods. Scoring systems identifying patients likely to be successfully managed through SDEC services have been suggested, but evidence of utility in diverse populations is lacking. Specific scoring systems exist for some common medical problems, including cardiac chest pain and pulmonary embolism, but further research is needed to demonstrate how these are most effectively incorporated into SDEC services. This review defines SDEC and describes the variation in services nationally. It reviews the evidence for their clinical impact, tools to screen patients for SDEC and current gaps in our knowledge regarding service deployment.