A case series using a care management checklist to decrease emergency department visits and hospitalizations in children with epilepsy.
Each year, 1 million people are seen in an emergency department for seizures or epilepsy. We implemented a care management checklist for patients with frequent visits. A database was searched for patients with the highest number of emergency department visits and/or unplanned hospitalizations in 2011. Four patients were selected. A care management checklist was implemented in 2012. Compliance with the office visits, number of emergency department visits and/or hospitalizations, and the associated costs were tracked following implementation of the checklist for 2011 and 2012. These 4 epilepsy patients accounted for 46 visits in the year 2011 with associated health care costs of $380,209. Following a year using a care management checklist, the same patients accounted for 11 visits with a cost reduction of $188,130. Using a care management checklist was useful in these 4 epilepsy patients to decrease emergency department visits and/or unplanned hospitalizations. A limitation of this study is its small numbers.
1Division of Child Neurology, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA.
Anup D
AD
Patel
D057189:Checklist / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000191:economics; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000191:economics / Q000628:therapy*; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D009819:Office Visits / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010346:Patient Care Management / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards; D012640:Seizures / Q000628:therapy; D013997:Time Factors
care management; costs; epilepsy