Articles: hospital-emergency-service.
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High-frequency utilizers are defined as patients who present 10 or more times to the emergency department in a rolling 12-month period. High-frequency utilizers contribute to emergency department overcrowding and misuse of resources, and reduce the efficiency of health care systems. Care guides have proven to be an effective tool in reducing high-frequency utilizers. ⋯ The use of care guides was a successful strategy in reducing emergency department visits and the cost of unreimbursed care by high-frequency utilizers by providing them with the education and resources they require to receive health care services in appropriate settings.
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Scand J Trauma Resus · Oct 2023
Observational StudyProspective study of pain and patient outcomes in the emergency department: a tale of two pain assessment methods.
Accurate pain assessment is essential in the emergency department (ED) triage process. Overestimation of pain intensity, however, can lead to unnecessary overtriage. The study aimed to investigate the influence of pain on patient outcomes and how pain intensity modulates the triage's predictive capabilities on these outcomes. ⋯ Self-reported pain seemed to diminish the predictive accuracy of triage for hospitalization. In contrast, physician-rated pain scores were positively associated with longer EDLOS, increased ED charges, and enhanced triage predictive capability for hospitalization. Pain, therefore, appears to modulate the relationship between triage and patient outcomes, highlighting the need for careful pain evaluation in the ED.