Transitioning Patients With Diabetes Out Of Emergency Departments: A Path Towards Better Outcomes And Lower Costs?

Abstract

There are at least 29.1 million people with diabetes and <6,000 board-certified endocrinologists in the United States ( 1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Diabetes Statistics Report: Estimates of Diabetes and Its Burden in the United States, 2014. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Atlanta, GA2014 Google Scholar , 2. Vigersky R.A. Fish L. Hogan P. et al. The Clinical Endocrinology Workforce: current status and future projections of supply and demand. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2014; 99: 3112-3121 Crossref PubMed Scopus (143) Google Scholar ). Given these numbers, it is not surprising that many patients turn to Emergency Departments (EDs) for diabetes care that often could take place in an outpatient setting ( 3. Washington R.E. Andrews R.M. Mutter R. Emergency department visits for adults with diabetes, 2010: statistical brief 167. In Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Statistical Briefs. 2006 Google Scholar ). Innovative ways to triage patients for access to outpatient care are needed.