Non-emergency department interventions to reduce ED utilization: a systematic review.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Recent health policy changes have focused efforts on reducing emergency department (ED) visits as a way to reduce costs and improve quality of care. This was a systematic review of interventions based outside the ED aimed at reducing ED use.

Methods

This study was designed as a systematic review. We reviewed the literature on interventions in five categories: patient education, creation of additional non-ED capacity, managed care, prehospital diversion, and patient financial incentives. Studies written in English, with interventions administered outside of the ED, and a comparison group where ED use was an outcome, were included. Two independent reviewers screened search results using MEDLINE, Cochrane, OAIster, or Scopus. The following data were abstracted from i

SUBMITTER: Morgan SR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4038086 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature