Tailor ED discharge plan to the individual.
A study by Penn Medicine that examined why low-income patients seek care in the emergency department concluded that the healthcare system drives patients away from primary care and to the emergency department. Low-income patients have to miss work and line up transportation to make a primary care visit. Often, their providers are in clinics with a limited number of appointments each day. Instead of merely lecturing patients about seeking care at the right level, case managers should develop strategies to meet each patient's individual needs.
D019090:Case Management; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D006801:Humans; D010351:Patient Discharge; D011203:Poverty; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States