Geriatric Emergency Care Reduces Health Care Costs—What Are the Next Steps?

Maura Kennedy,Kevin Biese,Kei Ouchi

doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.0147

Abstract

Geriatric Emergency Care Reduces Health Care Costs—What Are the Next Steps?

Highlights

The most robust evidence supporting the geriatric emergency departments (EDs) (GED) model of care comes from the Geriatric Emergency Department Innovation in Care Through Workforce, Informatics, and Structural Enhancement (GEDI WISE) program
Whereas the prior GEDI WISE studies evaluated the association of this care model with ED visits and hospital admission rates, in this study Hwang et al[3] conducted a more comprehensive evaluation of costs of care by looking at total Medicare costs—including inpatient, outpatient, home health, hospice, and skilled nursing facilities claims
They quantified the cost savings related to avoidance of hospitalization and ED revisits and determined whether the cost savings were offset by increased care costs related to home health referrals or transfer to skilled nursing or acute rehabilitation facilities

Summary

Introduction

Elsewhere in JAMA Network Open, Hwang et al[3] measured the cost savings associated with TCN or SW evaluations at GEDI WISE sites. Whereas the prior GEDI WISE studies evaluated the association of this care model with ED visits and hospital admission rates, in this study Hwang et al[3] conducted a more comprehensive evaluation of costs of care by looking at total Medicare costs—including inpatient, outpatient, home health, hospice, and skilled nursing facilities claims. This study provides important evidence demonstrating the cost efficiency of this enhanced care model for geriatric emergency care.

Results

Conclusion