Case Management may Reduce Emergency Department Frequent use in a Universal Health Coverage System: a Randomized Controlled Trial.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Frequent emergency department (ED) users account for a disproportionately high number of ED visits. Studies on case management (CM) interventions to reduce frequent ED use have shown mixed results, and few studies have been conducted within a universal health coverage system.

Objective

To determine whether a CM intervention-compared to standard emergency care-reduces ED attendance.

Design

Randomized controlled trial.

Participants

Two hundred fifty frequent ED users (5 or more visits in the prior 12 months) who visited a public urban ED at the Lausanne University Hospital between May 2012 and July 2013 were allocated to either an intervention (n = 125) or control (n = 125) group, and monitored for 12 months.

Interventions

An individualized CM i

SUBMITTER: Bodenmann P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5400747 | biostudies-literature | 2017 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature