title: Reconnecting patients with their primary care provider: an intervention for reducing nonurgent pediatric emergency department visits.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Intervention to reduce nonurgent pediatric emergency department (PED) visits over a 12-month follow-up.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, randomized, controlled trial enrolled children seen in the PED for nonurgent concerns. Intervention subjects received a structured session/handout specific to their primary care provider (PCP), which outlined ways to obtain medical advice. Visitation to the PED and PCP were followed over 12 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 164 patients were assigned to the intervention and 168 patients to the control. At 12-month follow-up, the intervention group had a lower rate of nonurgent PED utilization compared with the control group (70 [43%] patients in the intervention compared with 91 [54%] in the control; P = .047). At 12 months, there was an increase in the rate of sick visits to PCP in the intervention group when compared with the control (P = .036).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intervention designed in cooperation with pediatricians was able to decrease nonurgent PED utilization and redirect patients to their PCP for future sick visits over a 12-month period.
authors.affiliation: Connecticut Children's Medical Center, West Hartford, CT, USA University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA jesse.sturm@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jesse J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Sturm
authors.affiliation: Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, USA Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hirsh
authors.affiliation: Kids Health First Primary Care Network, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Brad
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Weselman
authors.affiliation: Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, USA Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Harold K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Simon
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003376:Counseling; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006300:Health Services Misuse; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009819:Office Visits; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States
keywords: emergency department use; health care utilization