Medical care
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An emergency department (ED) visit may be a marker for limited access to primary medical care, particularly among those with ambulatory care sensitive chronic conditions (ACSCC). ⋯ Primary care characteristics associated with GP contact in an ED rather than another site reflect individual characteristics (affiliation with a primary GP and perceived needs) rather than the geographic availability of healthcare, both among those with and without chronic conditions.
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A real-time electronic predictive model that identifies hospitalized heart failure (HF) patients at high risk for readmission or death may be valuable to clinicians and hospitals who care for these patients. ⋯ Clinical and social factors available within hours of hospital presentation and extractable from an EMR predicted mortality and readmission at 30 days. Incorporating complex social factors increased the model's accuracy, suggesting that such factors could enhance risk adjustment models designed to compare hospital readmission rates.