A visit to the Emergency Department (ED) is expensive. Some people who come to the Emergency Department do not need to be there. Many people would like to reduce the number of "avoidable" visits to the Emergency Department.
Emergency Departments in most hospitals provide around the clock ("24/7/365") coverage for medical emergencies. Staffing and resources are optimized for a range of life-threatening conditions.
A visit to the ED may be considered avoidable or unnecessary if:
(1) the ED does not have resources to address the problem
(2) a retrospective analysis is conducted using knowledge not available at the time
(3) the patient has a non-life-threatening condition that could be resolved by a physician visit within 24 hours
Factors that may contribute to an "avoidable" Emergency Department visit:
(1) A person has an acute problem and does not know what is happening.
(2) A person has a problem that is not covered by the ED, such as dental or psychiatric problem.
(3) The person does not have access to or know how to get access for a problem.
(4) There are no alternatives available or are inaccessible to the patient.
(5) There is a cultural tendency to use the ED as the primary care resource, as in some inner cities.
Reducing avoidable ED visits may require:
(1) the availability of an alternative resource for urgent care
(2) someone to triage the patient prior to ED registration
(3) the ability to refer a patient to a clinician who can handle the problem
