Preventable Emergency Department Research Articles

Healthcare utilisation by diabetic patients in Denmark: the role of primary care in reducing emergency visits

Improving the management of diabetic patients is receiving increasing attention in the health policy agenda due to increasing prevalence in the population and raising pressure on healthcare resources. This paper examines the determinants of healthcare services utilisation in patients with type-2 diabetes, investigating the potential substitution effect of general practice visits on the utilisation of emergency department visits. By using rich longitudinal data from Denmark and a bivariate econometric model, our analysis highlights primary care services that are more effective in preventing emergency department visits and socioeconomic groups of patients with a weak substitution response. Our results suggest that empowering primary care services, such as preventive assessment visits, may contribute to reducing emergency department visits significantly. Moreover, special attention should be devoted to vulnerable groups, such as patients from low socioeconomic background and older patients, who may find more difficult achieving a large substitution response.

Homecare workers - an untapped resource in preventing emergency department visits among older individuals? A qualitative interview study from Sweden

BackgroundOlder individuals with functional decline and homecare are frequent visitors to emergency departments (ED). Homecare workers (HCWs) interact regularly with their clients and may play a crucial role in their well-being. Therefore, this study explores if and how HCWs perceive they may contribute to the prevention of ED visits among their clients.MethodsIn this qualitative study, 12 semi-structured interviews were conducted with HCWs from Sweden between July and November 2022. Inductive thematic analysis was used to identify barriers and facilitators to prevent ED visits in older home-dwelling individuals.ResultsHCWs want to actively contribute to the prevention of ED visits among clients but observe many barriers that hinder them from doing so. Barriers refer to care organisation such as availability to primary care staff and information transfer; perceived attitudes towards HCWs as co-workers; and client-related factors. Participants suggest that improved communication and collaboration with primary care and discharge information from the ED to homecare services could overcome barriers. Furthermore, they ask for support and geriatric education from primary care nurses which may result in increased respect towards them as competent staff members.ConclusionsHCWs feel that they have an important role in the health management of older individuals living at home. Still, they feel as an untapped resource in the prevention of ED visits. They deem that improved coordination and communication between primary care, ED, and homecare organisations as well as proactive care would enable them to add significantly to the prevention of ED visits.

Assessing the Revised Safer Dx Instrument® in the understanding of ambulatory system design changes for type 1 diabetes and autism spectrum disorder in pediatrics.

We sought within an ambulatory safety study to understand if the Revised Safer Dx instrument may be helpful in identification of diagnostic missed opportunities in care of children with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We reviewed two months of emergency department (ED) encounters for all patients at our tertiary care site with T1D and a sample of such encounters for patients with ASD over a 15-month period, and their pre-visit communication methods to better understand opportunities to improve diagnosis. We applied the Revised Safer Dx instrument to each diagnostic journey. We chose potentially preventable ED visits for hyperglycemia, diabetic ketoacidosis, and behavioral crises, and reviewed electronic health record data over the prior three months related to the illness that resulted in the ED visit. We identified 63 T1D and 27 ASD ED visits. Using theRevised Safer Dx instrument, we did not identify any potentially missed opportunities to improve diagnosis in T1D. We found two potential missed opportunities (Safer Dx overall score of 5) in ASD, related to potential for ambulatory medical management to be improved. Over this period, 40 % of T1D and 52 % of ASD patients used communication prior to the ED visit. Using the Revised Safer Dx instrument, we uncommonly identified missed opportunities to improve diagnosis in patients who presented to the ED with potentially preventable complications of their chronic diseases. Future researchers should consider prospectively collected data as well as development or adaptation of tools like the Safer Dx.

Medicaid Expansion and Preventable Emergency Department Use by Race/Ethnicity

IntroductionThis study aimed to examine changes in emergency department (ED) visits for ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSCs) among uninsured or Medicaid-covered Black, Hispanic, and White adults aged 26-64 in the first five years of the Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansion. MethodsUsing 2010-2018 inpatient and ED discharge data from nine expansion and five non-expansion states, an event study difference-in-differences regression model was used to estimate changes in number of annual ACSC ED visits per 100 adults ("ACSC ED rate") associated with the 2014 Medicaid expansion, overall and by race/ethnicity. A secondary outcome was the proportion of ACSC ED visits out of all ED visits ("ACSC ED share"). Analyses were conducted in 2022-2023. ResultsMedicaid expansion was associated with no change in ACSC ED rates among all, Black, Hispanic, or White adults. When excluding California, where most counties expanded Medicaid before 2014, expansion was associated with a decrease in ACSC ED rate among all, Black, Hispanic, and White adults. Expansion was also associated with a decrease in ACSC ED share among all, Black, and White adults. White adults experienced the largest reductions in ACSC ED rate and share. ConclusionsMedicaid expansion was associated with reductions in ACSC ED rates in some expansion states and reductions in ACSC ED share in all expansion states combined, with some heterogeneity by race/ethnicity. Expansion should be coupled with policy efforts to better link newly insured Black and Hispanic patients to non-ED outpatient care, alongside targeted outreach and expanded primary care capacity, which may reduce disparities in ACSC ED visits.

Perspectives of emergency department physicians and nurses on reasons for preventable emergency department visits by patients with cancer

BackgroundPatients with cancer frequently visit the emergency department (ED) for medical care, yet approximately half of ED visits for patients with cancer are thought to be preventable. Preventable ED visits are associated with increased healthcare costs and poor patient experiences and outcomes. The voices of ED providers who work with patients with cancer in their everyday practices have not been solicited as it pertains to preventable visits. ObjectivesThe purpose of this study is to describe the perspectives of ED physicians and nurses on reasons for preventable ED visits by patients with cancer. MethodsA qualitative descriptive design guided the study. We conducted 23 semi-structured interviews with ED physicians and nurses to query them about their perspectives on the reasons for preventable ED visits by patients with cancer. Content analysis was conducted to list and describe the reasons they discussed. ResultsParticipants identified five “medical” and five “non-medical” causes of preventable ED visits. Medical reasons included uncontrolled cancer pain, gastrointestinal symptoms, anemia, fever, and on-going undiagnosed signs and symptoms. Non-medical reasons include patient hesitancy to contact primary care providers, lack of availability or responsiveness of primary providers, lack of access, lack of care coordination, and fears about diagnosis and treatment. ConclusionThe voices of ED providers should be included in discussions about the problem of preventable ED visits by patients with cancer. The reasons supplied by the participants suggest that solutions to the problem will need to occur at the patient, provider, system, and societal levels.

Preventable Emergency Department Visits of Patients with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias During the COVID-19 Pandemic by Hospital-Based Health Information Exchange.

Background: This study examined the relationship between hospital-based electronic health information exchange (HIE) and the likelihood of having a preventable emergency department (ED) visit during the COVID-19 pandemic for US patients with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD). Methods: We used multi-level data from six states. The linked data sets included the 2020 State Emergency Department Databases (SEDD), the Area Health Resources File, the American Hospital Association (AHA) Annual Survey, and the AHA Information Technology Supplement to study 85,261 hospital discharges from patients with ADRD. Logistic regression models were produced to determine the odds of having a preventable ED visit among patients with ADRD. Results: Our final sample included 85,261 hospital discharges from patients with ADRD. Patients treated in hospitals that received more types of clinical information for treating patients with COVID-19 from outside providers (OR = 0.961, p < .05) and/or hospitals that received COVID-19 test results from more outside entities were significantly less likely to encounter preventable EDs (OR = 0.964, p < .05), especially among patients who also had multiple chronic conditions (MCC) (OR = 0.89, p = .001; OR = 0.856, p < .001). Conclusion: Our results suggest that electronic HIE may be useful for reducing preventable ED visits during the COVID-19 pandemic for people with ADRD and ADRD alongside MCC.

Assessing preventable emergency department visits and hospitalizations following implementation of a high-touch program at an academic cancer center.

415 Background: Patients with cancer undergoing treatment are high utilizers of emergency department (ED) services and are at increased risk of hospitalization. A “high-touch” (HT) model of identifying and increasing communication with cancer patients at elevated risk of ED visits was implemented. The goal was to assess whether patients in the HT cohort had a reduced rate of unplanned ED visits and hospitalizations when compared to patients prior to implementation of the model. Methods: In this retrospective study (1/1/2018-4/1/2021), 51 patients on primarily palliative-intent treatment for their cancer were prospectively included in the HT group based on providers’ assessment of their risk of ED visits and malignancy-related complications. This group was compared to a similar cohort (n= 71) pre-implementation of the HT model. Data on baseline characteristics, malignancy type, reason for unplanned ED visits, and patient interaction with the oncology clinic immediately prior to ED visits were obtained, along with end-of-life outcomes including palliative measures. Each ED visit was also categorized as a potentially preventable or non-preventable visit, based on established criteria from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Results: While implementation of a HT program did not significantly decrease utilization, the percent of ED visits (p &lt; 0.001) and hospitalizations (p = 0.002) for CMS-preventable reasons was notably higher in the HT cohort. Patients in the HT cohort also reached out to clinic providers significantly more frequently before visiting the ED (p &lt; 0.001). Over half of patients in the HT cohort were seen by a palliative care physician in the inpatient setting within the last 6 months of life. Patients in both groups had similar high rates of dying at home or inpatient hospice versus dying in a hospital setting. Conclusions: Incorporation of a HT model of care in an oncology clinic may promote closer patient interaction with oncology providers prior to emergency department visits, but may come at the cost of increased medical utilization for otherwise CMS-preventable hospitalizations.[Table: see text]

Defining and evaluating potentially preventable ED visits in oncology patients including using early machine learning models.

463 Background: Cancer patients are frequent users of the emergency department (ED); preventing such visits is important for improving the quality of cancer care and decreasing health care system burden. This study describes oncology ED visits at a single institution, and seeks to define a novel definition of potentially preventable ED visits (PPEDs), particularly considering novel cancer therapies. It also uses machine learning (ML) to create early models to predict patients at highest risk of PPEDs. Methods: A retrospective study of ED visits by oncology patients between April 1st, 2019 and April 1st, 2021 at a single academic institution was completed. PPEDs were defined as ED visits resulting in discharge from the ED or an admission of less than 48 hours. PPEDs versus non-PPEDs were evaluated using descriptive statistics, logistic regression, and machine learning (ML) modelling. Results: 17% of cancer patients (n=6,689) had 13,415 ED visits during the study period. PPEDs differed in characteristics from non-PPEDs. Stage 1-3 patients with breast cancer, and those on IV systemic therapy were more likely to have PPEDs.Logistic regression models of pre-ED visit variables showed that stage, distance, and neoadjuvant systemic therapy were associated with PPEDs. Logistic regression of ED visit-related variables revealed that genitourinary, eye, or skin-related diagnoses were associated with PPEDs. The highest-performing ML model scored an AUC of 0.819, and combined pre-ED visit and ED visit related variables; stage 1-3 breast cancer patients, all IV chemotherapy patients, and stage 4 patients living within 15km of the ED, or with GI, oral or female gynecologic cancers were associated with PPEDs. ED diagnoses of “cancer” and MSK issues were associated with PPEDs. For those patients on IV systemic therapy specifically, having breast cancer, having a palliative consult within 60 days of the ED visit, or presenting with ED diagnoses of toxicities from therapy or blood disorders, pain, or rash were associated with PPEDs. Conclusions: Our novel definition of PPEDs versus non-PPEDs appears reasonable, and using machine learning has helped to describe groups of patients at highest likelihood of such visits at our institution. Future work to validate and advance these models into clinical prediction tools and algorithms could help proactively target high risk patients, and ideally decrease preventable ED visits in oncology.

Effectiveness of the Original Monovalent Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccines in Preventing Emergency Department or Urgent Care Encounters and Hospitalizations Among Adults With Disabilities: VISION Network, June 2021-September 2022

Abstract Adults with disabilities are at increased risk for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Using data across 9 states during Delta- and Omicron-predominant periods (June 2021–September 2022), we evaluated the effectiveness of the original monovalent COVID-19 messenger RNA vaccines among 521 206 emergency department/urgent care encounters (11 471 [2%] in patients with a documented disability) and 139 548 hospitalizations (16 569 [12%] in patients with a disability) for laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 illness in adults (aged ≥18 years). Across variant periods and for the primary series or booster doses, vaccine effectiveness was similar in those with and those without a disability. These findings highlight the importance of adults with disabilities staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations.

Mortality in the Emergency Department and the Effectiveness of Conventional Safety Event Reporting.

Background Patient mortality reviews identify care, system, and process deficiencies. Patient deaths undergo quarterly review in our academic emergency department (ED), whereas in other departments, mortality reviews are requested by the pronouncing physician within 24 hours. In the ED, individual physicians encounter barriers to 24-hour reviews, including feasibility, the perception of futility, re-exposure to traumatic events, and a high frequency of pre-hospital and non-preventable deaths. This quality review aimed to determine the preventable death rate, contributing factors to ED patient mortality, cases requiring further review, and the capture rate of individual case submissions into the patient safety reporting system. Methods A retrospective chart review was performed on all patient deaths occurring in our ED from July 2019 to February 2020. All patients 18 years or older who were pronounced dead in the ED during our data collection period were included. Patients declared deceased pre-hospital, on an inpatient floor, or in the operating room were excluded. Deaths were assessed for characteristics such as sex, presence of a pulse upon arrival, diagnostics and interventions performed, and whether the cause of death was traumatic or medical. Deaths were categorized on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from "not preventable" to "likely preventable." The presence or absence of contributing factors and the need for further review were recorded. Results Of the 166 reviewed cases, 87% (n=144) were non-preventable due to a terminal condition upon arrival, 12% (n=20) were non-preventable despite maximal efforts, 0.6% (n=1) were non-preventable despite a medical or systems error, and 0.6% (n=1) were possibly preventable due to a medical or systems error. No cases were definitively preventable. Only 1.2% (n=2) of cases required further safety review. In 55% (n=91) of cases, the patient arrived without a pulse. Medical deaths (60%, n=100) outnumbered traumatic deaths (39%, n=64). The most utilized diagnostic test was ultrasound (67%, n=111), and the most utilized intervention was advanced cardiac life support (59%, n=98). Conclusion There is a high prevalence of unpreventable deaths in the ED (99%, n=164). Only two cases (1.2%) were identified for further patient safety review. Standard safety event reporting practices correctly identified all possibly preventable ED deaths.

Health Insurance Coverage and Postpartum Outcomes in the US

Approximately half of postpartum individuals in the US do not receive any routine postpartum health care. Currently, federal Medicaid coverage for pregnant individuals lapses after the last day of the month in which the 60th postpartum day occurs, which limits longer-term postpartum care. To assess whether health insurance coverage extension or improvements in access to health care are associated with postpartum health care utilization and maternal outcomes within 1 year post partum. Medline, Embase, CENTRAL, CINAHL, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched for US-based studies from inception to November 16, 2022. The reference lists of relevant systematic reviews were scanned for potentially eligible studies. Risk of bias was assessed using questions from the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool and the Risk of Bias in Nonrandomized Studies of Interventions tool. Strength of evidence (SoE) was assessed using the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Methods Guide. A total of 25 973 citations were screened and 28 mostly moderate-risk-of-bias nonrandomized studies were included (3 423 781 participants) that addressed insurance type (4 studies), policy changes that made insurance more comprehensive (13 studies), policy changes that made insurance less comprehensive (2 studies), and Medicaid expansion (9 studies). Findings with moderate SoE suggested that more comprehensive association was likely associated with greater attendance at postpartum visits. Findings with low SoE indicated a possible association between more comprehensive insurance and fewer preventable readmissions and emergency department visits. The findings of this systematic review suggest that evidence evaluating insurance coverage and postpartum visit attendance and unplanned care utilization is, at best, of moderate SoE. Future research should evaluate clinical outcomes associated with more comprehensive insurance coverage.

A082 Sociodemographic Factors Leading to Preventable Emergency Department Visits after Bariatric Surgery: A Single Institution Analysis

A082 Sociodemographic Factors Leading to Preventable Emergency Department Visits after Bariatric Surgery: A Single Institution Analysis

Preventable emergency department visits and admissions for patients on chemotherapy including oral chemotherapy.

e18736 Background: OP-35 is a CMS quality metric used to quantify ED visits and admissions for 10 preventable conditions in the 30 days after chemotherapy. While CMS limited this metric to IV chemotherapy, oral chemotherapy (OC) also poses risk of significant adverse effects. This study aimed to compare the rates of ED visits and admissions between patients on IV chemotherapy, OC, or both. Methods: This single center retrospective analysis included patients with cancer receiving outpatient chemotherapy and those who visited the ED within 30 days of receiving chemotherapy between 1/2019-12/2022. OC broadly included cytotoxic, targeted, and hormonal therapies. The primary outcome was the proportion of ED visits and admissions for preventable diagnoses, as defined by OP-35, between patients receiving IV chemotherapy, OC, or both. T-tests were used to compare continuous variables with a p-value &lt; 0.05 considered statistically significant. Results: Of the patients receiving OC, 15% were on a cytotoxic therapy, 26% were on a targeted therapy, 53% were on a hormonal therapy, and 6% were on multiple agents. Among all patients on chemotherapy, 24% visited the ED within 30 days of treatment. 53% of patients on IV chemotherapy visited the ED, compared to 9% of patients on OC and 9% of patients on both IV and oral treatment (p &lt; 0.001). 45% of patients on IV chemotherapy were admitted, compared to 7% of patients on OC and 7% of patients on both IV and oral treatment (p &lt; 0.001). However, there was no significant difference in rates of ED visits (p = 0.19) or admissions (p = 0.12) for preventable (OP-35) diagnoses between patients on IV chemotherapy, OC, or both, with close to a third of ED visits and admissions being preventable in each group (Table 1). Conclusions: Despite concerns over the vulnerability of patients on OC, in this single center study patients on OC were less likely than patients on IV chemotherapy to visit the ED or require admission, with similar rates of preventable visits. Future analyses will stratify results by class of OC to assess for any differences. While OC may not produce similar rates of acute care visits as IV chemotherapy, approximately one-third could be preventable and may be improved by similar interventions as those targeting patients on IV chemotherapy. [Table: see text]

Trends and characteristics of potentially preventable emergency department visits among patients with cancer in the US.

e13643 Background: An initial step to reducing emergency department (ED) visits among patients with cancer is to identify the characteristics of patients visiting the ED and examine which of those visits could be prevented. The objective of this study was to explore nationwide trends and characteristics of ED visits and examine factors associated with potentially preventable ED visits and unplanned hospitalizations among patients with cancer in the US. Methods: This cross-sectional study used data on ED visits from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey from January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2019; US Cancer Statistics reports were used to estimate new cancer cases each year. Frequencies and trends of ED visits by adult patients (aged ≥18 years) with cancer were calculated. The primary outcome was potentially preventable ED visits (using the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services definition), and secondary outcomes were hospitalizations and the immediacy of the ED visits. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the associations of patient, hospital, and temporal factors with potentially preventable ED use and ED use resulting in hospitalization. Results: Among 854911106 ED visits, 35510014 (4.2%) were made by patients with cancer (mean [SD] age, 66.2 [16.2] years); of those, 55.2% of visits were among women, 73.2% were among non-Hispanic White individuals, 89.8% were among patients living in a private residence, and 54.3% were among Medicare enrollees. A total of 18 316 373 ED visits (51.6%) were identified as potentially preventable, and 5 770 571 visits (21.3%) were classified as high acuity. From 2012 to 2019, potentially preventable ED visits increased from 1 851 692 to 3 214 276. Pain (36.9%) was the most common reason for potentially preventable ED visits. The number of patients who visited an ED because of pain increased from 1 192 197 in 2012 to 2 405 849 in 2019 (a 101.8% increase). Overall, 28.9% of ED visits resulted in unplanned hospitalizations, which did not change significantly over time (from 32.2% in 2012 to 26.6% in 2019; P = .78 for trend). Factors such as residence in a nursing home (odds ratio, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.25-2.41) were positively associated with having a potentially preventable ED visit, and factors such as the presence of more than 1 comorbidity (odds ratio, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.43-2.32) were positively associated with having an unplanned hospitalization. Conclusions: In this study, 51.6% of ED visits among patients with cancer were identified as potentially preventable, and the absolute number of potentially preventable ED visits increased substantially between 2012 and 2019. These findings highlight the need for cancer care programs to implement evidence-based interventions to better manage cancer treatment complications, such as uncontrolled pain, in outpatient and ambulatory settings.

Quality dashboards: Uncovering potential health disparities.

e18567 Background: A number of demographic characteristics and social determinants of health have been demonstrated to impact cancer outcomes. It is essential to assess quality metrics stratified by these characteristics so that potential disparities may be identified and addressed amongst marginalized populations. Methods: We examined our Cancer Center’s quality dashboard’s quality metrics and identified which could be stratified by race, ethnicity, language preference, sexual identity, and gender. Databases included Vizient, Press Ganey, Tumor Registry, and our institution’s performance reports. Where data was available, we conducted cross-group comparisons to assess for differences in outcomes. ANOVA and Fisher’s exact tests were performed to compare groups. A P-value of &lt; 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Of the 13 metrics, six (46%) could be stratified by demographic characteristics (likelihood to recommend the practice, mortality index, length of stay index, 30-day readmission, return to the operating room, adequate lymph node sampling). Six (46%) could not be stratified due to a lack of demographic information (new patient access, medication harm events, distress screening, preventable admissions, preventable emergency department visits, survivorship care plan). One metric was not at the patient-level, and thus did not apply to our investigation (non-template chemotherapy orders). More White patients (86.1%) were very likely to recommend the practice compared to Black (72.1%) or Asian patients (60.1%) (P &lt; 0.001). Additionally, significantly more English speakers were likely to recommend the practice than non-English speakers (84% vs. 65%; P &lt; 0.001). A significant difference was found in the 30-day readmission rate when stratified by race (White [8.2%] vs. Black [8.8%] vs. Asian [10.6%] vs. other [14.5%] vs. unknown [1.0%]; P = 0.02). No significant group differences were found in mortality index, length of stay, the proportion of adequate lymph node sampling, or returning to the operating room. Notably, the proportion of patients with “unknown” race and ethnicity ranging from 3.9%-17.5% for five metrics, represented the second largest group behind White race and non-Hispanic ethnicity. Conclusions: Less than half of the quality dashboard’s core metrics could be stratified by demographic characteristics. Even when data was available, the high frequency of missing data identifies a need for improved data collection accuracy so that more meaningful assessments can be made. Existing data suggests a disparity exists for patients of limited English proficiency having a lower satisfaction with the practice. This warrants further exploration in order to close gaps in cancer quality outcomes.

Effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines at preventing emergency department or urgent care encounters and hospitalizations among immunocompromised adults: An observational study of real-world data across 10 US states from August-December 2021

BackgroundImmunocompromised (IC) persons are at increased risk for severe COVID-19 outcomes and are less protected by 1–2 COVID-19 vaccine doses than are immunocompetent (non-IC) persons. We compared vaccine effectiveness (VE) against medically attended COVID-19 of 2–3 mRNA and 1–2 viral-vector vaccine doses between IC and non-IC adults. MethodsUsing a test-negative design among eight VISION Network sites, VE against laboratory-confirmed COVID-19–associated emergency department (ED) or urgent care (UC) events and hospitalizations from 26 August-25 December 2021 was estimated separately among IC and non-IC adults and among specific IC condition subgroups. Vaccination status was defined using number and timing of doses. VE for each status (versus unvaccinated) was adjusted for age, geography, time, prior positive test result, and local SARS-CoV-2 circulation. ResultsWe analyzed 8,848 ED/UC events and 18,843 hospitalizations among IC patients and 200,071 ED/UC events and 70,882 hospitalizations among non-IC patients. Among IC patients, 3-dose mRNA VE against ED/UC (73% [95% CI: 64–80]) and hospitalization (81% [95% CI: 76–86]) was lower than that among non-IC patients (ED/UC: 94% [95% CI: 93–94]; hospitalization: 96% [95% CI: 95–97]). Similar patterns were observed for viral-vector vaccines. Transplant recipients had lower VE than other IC subgroups. ConclusionsDuring B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant predominance, IC adults received moderate protection against COVID-19–associated medical events from three mRNA doses, or one viral-vector dose plus a second dose of any product. However, protection was lower in IC versus non-IC patients, especially among transplant recipients, underscoring the need for additional protection among IC adults.

Association Between the Affordable Care Act and Emergency Department Visits for Psychiatric Disease.

Emergency department (ED) utilization for psychiatric disease is increasing, and a lack of health insurance has been identified as a potential cause of preventable or avoidable ED use. Through the Affordable Care Act (ACA), more uninsured individuals gained health insurance; however, the effects of increased health insurance coverage on ED utilization for psychiatric disease have not been examined. We performed a longitudinal, cross-sectional analysis of data from the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample, the largest all-payer ED database in the US, which contains data on over 25 million ED visits each year. We examined ED utilization for psychiatric disease as the primary reason for visit among adults aged 18-64. We compared the proportion of ED visits with a psychiatric diagnosis during post-ACA years (2011-2016) to pre-ACA (2009) using logistic regression adjusted for age, gender, payer, and hospital region. The proportion of ED visits with psychiatric diagnosis increased from pre-ACA (4.9%) to post-ACA years (ranging from 5.0-5.5%). There was a significant difference in the proportion of ED visits with a psychiatric diagnosis when comparing each post-ACA year with pre-ACA, with adjusted odds ratios ranging from 1.01-1.09. Among ED visits with a psychiatric diagnosis, the most common age group was 26-49 years, and patients were more likely to be male than female and to have visited urban rather than rural hospitals. During post-ACA years (2014-2016), private and uninsured payers decreased, Medicaid payers increased, and Medicare payers increased in 2014 and decreased in 2015-2016 compared to pre-ACA. With the ACA more people gained health insurance, yet ED visits for psychiatric disease continued to increase. These results suggest that increasing access to health insurance alone is not sufficient to reduce ED utilization for patients with a psychiatric disease.

Retrospective study of cancer patients’ predictive factors of care in a large, Hungarian tertiary care centre

ObjectivesTo identify predictive factors of multiple emergency department (ED) visits, hospitalisation and potentially preventable ED visits made by patients with cancer in a Hungarian tertiary care centre.DesignObservational, retrospective study.SettingA large,...

E006 An audit showing the successful operation of a nurse-led gout clinic during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract Background/Aims Research has shown nurse-led gout clinics provide better outcomes compared to usual care. This District General Hospital set up a pilot nurse-led gout clinic in autumn 2019. This aimed to improve patients’ understanding of their condition, achieve better control of serum uric acid levels (SUA), reduce flares and prevent Emergency Department attendances. Methods A modified clinic protocol, closely modelled on BSR guidance was agreed within the department. With consultant supervision, one nurse specialist provided a mix of in-person and telephone appointments. Targets were set aiming for SUA &amp;lt;360µmol/L for most patients and &amp;lt;300µmol/L for those with erosive change or tophi. All patients were offered prophylaxis. Patients required a rheumatologist’s diagnosis of gout or crystal confirmation for enrolment. Exclusion criteria were significant renal or hepatic derangement. Within 3 months of the service starting SARS-CoV-2 impacted the operation of healthcare worldwide and led to the closure of routine outpatient clinics in Northern Ireland. A decision was made to switch the gout clinic to run entirely by telephone. Blood testing was facilitated through primary care and phlebotomy hubs. Results Over a 19-month period, 78 patients were treated and audited through this clinic: 69 men and 9 women. Average age was 57, mean SUA 509 µmol/L at referral and 322 µmol/L on discharge. 69 patients received allopurinol and 9 received febuxostat. No patients required uricosuric drugs. All patients were offered and agreed to take prophylaxis with a majority (85.8%) remaining on it for 3-6 months. Patients required a mean of 3.38 appointments prior to discharge from the clinic. The mean dose of urate lowering therapy on discharge was 315.9mg allopurinol and 93.3mg febuxostat. 95% experienced ≤2 flares during their enrolment in the clinic with no patients requiring Emergency Department attendance due to gout flare. Conclusion The nurse-led gout clinic was well received by patients and was effective as a telephone service during the pandemic when so many services were stood down. The clinic was able to continue to provide education, deliver effective reductions in uric acid as well as reduce incidence of flares and Emergency Department attendances. Lower doses of urate lowering therapy than expected were needed to achieve target. A small number of patients were discharged prior to enrolment for initial non-engagement which may have been exacerbated by the lack of face-to-face appointments. Our COVID-19 model did struggle with those patients needing an interpreter. In-person initial appointments have since been restarted; however, a greater proportion of reviews will continue to be offered by telephone given the unexpected success of the model. This audit showed that a nurse-led gout clinic can run successfully, even during a pandemic with a significant reliance on telephone consultations. Disclosure L. McWilliams: None. R.G.A. Stewart: None.

Health care utilization and potentially preventable adverse outcomes of high-need, high-cost middle-aged and older adults: Needs for integrated care models with life-course approach

Purpose of the researchThe success of modern health care increases life expectancy and prolongs the days of having multimorbidity and functional limitations; the so-defined “high need, high cost (HNHC)” state represents the extreme scenarios of care burden and complexity. This study aims to explore health care utilization and the risk of preventable adverse outcomes stratified by age and HNHC state. Materials and methodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study using the National Health Insurance (NHI) database. People aged ≥40 years were included and further stratified by age (middle-aged: 40–64 and older adults: 65) and HNHC state (top 10% of spending). Health care utilization and drug consumption across different groups were obtained. The multimorbidity frailty index (mFI) was developed for further analysis. Cox regression models were used to examine the associations between HNHC and adverse clinical outcomes (preventable hospitalizations, preventable emergency department visits, and mortality). ResultsHNHC participants were older, had a higher mFI and drug consumption, and had higher health care utilization. Compared with non-HNHC participants, HNHC participants exhibited a 4.4-fold and 2.4-fold higher risk of preventable hospitalizations in middle-aged (HR=4.41; 95% CI, 4.17–4.65, p<0.01) and older adults (HR=2.44; 95% CI, 2.34–2.55, p<0.01). Similar risks were observed for preventable emergency department visits and mortality (all p<0.01). ConclusionsThe HNHC state substantially increased health care utilization, polypharmacy, and potentially preventable adverse outcomes after adjustment for frailty. Intervention studies developing integrated care models using the life-course approach are needed to improve the quality of health care systems in super-aged societies.