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Analyzing a Pertinent Healthcare Issue

Several national healthcare stressors have been reported across the United States. These issues compromise healthcare organizations’ ability to offer safe, quality, and effective healthcare. Thus, all national stressors must be addressed to achieve the Quadruple Aim of improving healthcare. However, some national issues are urgent and require immediate response. The healthcare issue selected for this assignment is the inappropriate usage of the Emergency Department (ED) for non-emergency cases.

How does the inappropriate Usage of the ED Impact the Healthcare Organization?

Inappropriate use of the ED for non-emergency cases is a significant issue facing the healthcare organization. Studies show that ED enhances the delivery of faster and more effective healthcare services to critically ill patients, preventing potential health complications or even death (Spencer et al., 2022). On the other hand, ED crowding delays the delivery of healthcare services to critically ill patients, exposing them to significant harm, including high mortality and morbidity rates (Kelen et al., 2019). Therefore, ED crowding in healthcare organizations resulting from the use of the ED for non-emergency cases has led to a dramatic increase in morbidity and mortality rates.

Quantifying the Impact Based on the Organizational Data

Inappropriate use of the ED for non-emergency has affected the healthcare organization negatively. First, data retrieved from the medical facility’s dashboard indicated a 50% increase in morbidity rates in the ED over the last six months. Moreover, ED stay has increased by an average of 5 days within this period. Furthermore, the unit has reported a 30% increase in mortality rates. These adverse outcomes are associated with delays in delivering healthcare services to critically ill patients.

Summarizing the Two Articles related to Inappropriate ED Usage

Botelho et al. (2019) examined how misperception of the severity of symptoms results in inappropriate ED usage. The researchers focused on informing potential patients about the correct symptom severity level to correct ED usage inefficiency. The results indicated an overestimation of severity degree in some patients. Moreover, Nummedal et al. (2023) explored non-ED-based interventions for eliminating unnecessary ED visits. Results indicated the effectiveness of care coordination and case management programs in reducing clinical profiles referred to the ED for further treatment. Other healthcare organizations are addressing inappropriate ED usage by adopting multifaceted interventions, including effective treatment services to reduce the need for ED visits.

Summarizing Strategies used to address Inappropriate ED Usage the Scholarly Resources

First, Botelho et al. (2019) address this clinical issue by setting the degree of symptom severity that should be treated in the ED. Clinical profiles that have not achieved the set limit are treated in other departments to enhance efficiency in the ED. Secondly, Nummedal et al. (2023) resolve this national stressor by supporting care coordination to improve health outcomes, eliminating the need for ED usage. These strategies might impact the medical facility positively. Setting limits for the severity degree of symptoms that should be presented to the ED and effective coordination of patient care will reduce the number of patients treated in the ED. Consequently, ED efficiency will be improved, reducing adverse health outcomes, including high mortality and morbidity rates and ED stay. Conversely, these interventions might impact the facility negatively. First, limiting access to ED care based on symptom severity might result in negative patient perceptions of the safety and quality of care provided in the facility. For instance, patients with an oxygen saturation of 92% might be prevented from using ED care if only patients with an oxygen saturation of 90 and below are admitted to the ED. This patient might consider treatment services provided in the facility as unsafe. As a result, the patient or family members might not seek treatment from the medical facility, reducing overall income and profit margin. Secondly, care coordination might result in delays and care delivery inefficiencies since interprofessional team members spend much time making clinical decisions.

References

Botelho, A., Dias, I. C., Fernandes, T., Pinto, L. M. C., Teixeira, J., Valente, M., & Veiga, P. (2019). Overestimation of health urgency as a cause for emergency services inappropriate use: Insights from an exploratory economics experiment in Portugal. Health & Social Care in the Community27(4), 1031-1041.

Kelen, G. D., Wolfe, R., D’Onofrio, G., Mills, A. M., Diercks, D., Stern, S. A., … & Sokolove, P. E. (2021). Emergency department crowding: the canary in the health care system. NEJM Catalyst Innovations in Care Delivery2(5): 1-7.

Nummedal, M. A., Bjørnsen, L. P., King, S., Pedersen, S. A., & Uleberg, O. (2023). Non-Emergency Department (ED) Interventions to Reduce ED Utilization: a Scoping Review. Research Square, 2 (3): 1-46.

Spencer, S. A., Adipa, F. E., Baker, T., Crawford, A. M., Dark, P., Dula, D., … & Morton, B. (2023). A health systems approach to critical care delivery in low-resource settings: a narrative review. Intensive Care Medicine49(7), 772-784.

 

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