Thaker, Natasha. A retrospective and prospective chart review with implementations: preventing non-urgent emergency department visits from a primary care practice. Retrieved from https://doi.org/doi:10.7282/t3-8zda-6a04
DescriptionPurpose: Often there are patients who visit the emergency department for non-urgent complaints that can be treated in the primary care setting. This can lead to overcrowding of the emergency department, increased costs, and delay in treatment times. Providers need to advise or educate patients on the use of the emergency department versus the primary care practice. Doing so may lead to better use of the primary care providers, decrease non-urgent visits to the emergency departments and improve patient outcomes.
Methodology: A retrospective chart review with implementation of a handout was on display at a privately owned primary care practice in northern New Jersey. The handout displayed examples of services available in the emergency department versus those in the primary care practice. Prospective evaluation via a chart review of patient utilization of the emergency department was collected after handout has been available to patients. Data was analyzed for a decrease in patients utilizing the emergency department. The retrospective chart review, implementation of patient viewing handouts, and prospective chart review was utilized to develop recommendations based on the findings to promote primary care use and help decrease non-urgent emergency department visits.
Results: The statistical results revealed that most of the emergency department visits were emergent. Although emergency department visits after the implementation, the results were not statistically significant due to small sample size.
Implications for Practice: One time evaluation of patient Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine (REALM) score to determine baseline healthcare literacy. This will assist in educating of the patient and providers to determine what level of counseling they can provide the patient. Recommendations for additional practice hours as well as having additional providers to assist with patient volume. Utilization of call service when office is closed. Documentation of counseling of the patient for reimbursement.