title: The ED is an efficient place to treat ED patients.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine what percentage of ED patients would be more efficiently treated in an offsite clinic. A stratified sample consisting of 650 ED visits were reviewed. Patient care was classified as more efficiently delivered in ED or clinic using prospectively developed criteria. Five hundred fifty-three (85%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 82-88%) visits met the definition of efficient ED utilization. One (0.15%; 95% CI, 0.01-0.99%) met the criteria for efficient clinic utilization. The other 96 (15%; 95% CI, 12-18%) failed to meet the definition of efficient for either site; 92 of these failed 2 or more clinic criteria. Only 25 (3.9%; 95% CI, 2.6-5.7%) were seen for nonacute problems. Few ED patients would be more efficiently seen in a clinic.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Affairs and Emergency Medicine, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 8131-0001, USA. MHauswald@salud.unm.edu
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hauswald
mesh_terms: D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000458:organization & administration; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration; D006786:Hospitals, Urban / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D010343:Patient Admission; D011446:Prospective Studies