The Relationship between Same-Day Access and Continuity in Primary Care and Emergency Department Visits.
We examined how emergency department (ED) visits for potentially preventable, mental health, and other diagnoses were related to same-day access and provider continuity in primary care using administrative data from 71,296 patients in 22 VHA clinics over a three-year period. ED visits were categorized as non-emergent; primary care treatable; preventable; not preventable; or mental health-related. We conducted multi-level regression models adjusted for patient and clinic factors. More same-day access significantly predicted fewer non-emergent and primary care treatable ED visits while continuity was not significantly related to any type of ED visit. Neither measure was related to ED visits for mental health problems.
Health Economics Resource Center, VA Palo Alto, Menlo Park, CA, United States of America; Center for Innovation to Implementation, VA Palo Alto, Menlo Park, CA, United States of America.
Jean
J
Yoon
Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation, & Policy, Greater Los Angeles VA, Sepulveda, CA, United States of America; UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America; RAND Corp, Santa Monica, CA, United States of America.
Kristina M
KM
Cordasco
Health Economics Resource Center, VA Palo Alto, Menlo Park, CA, United States of America.
Adam
A
Chow
Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation, & Policy, Greater Los Angeles VA, Sepulveda, CA, United States of America; UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America; RAND Corp, Santa Monica, CA, United States of America.
Lisa V
LV
Rubenstein
D002140:California; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration; D004638:Emergency Treatment; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D012044:Regression Analysis