Prehospital Case Management Reduces Emergency Department Visits by Frequent Users

A pilot case management program reduced resource use, but not sufficiently to benefit emergency department operations.

To address resource utilization concerns, the San Diego emergency medical services (EMS) system implemented a pilot case management program for a cohort of 51 adults who had at least 10 EMS transports within 12 months or were designated by prehospital personnel as frequent users. Participants were mostly men (65%), homeless (59%), and aged 40 to 59 (73%).

A dedicated case manager contacted enrollees by phone or in person and coordinated with health care providers and social service agencies in an attempt to provide appropriate alternate resources and avoid unnecessary EMS calls. The case manager deemed that only six participants were “fully compliant” with follow-up. Investigators compared utilization data for an average of 6 months before a…

Reviewing Author

Kristi L. Koenig, MD, FACEP

Disclosures

Editorial boardsKoenig & Schultz's Disaster Medicine: Comprehensive Principles and Practices

Kristi L. Koenig, MD, FACEP

Disclosures

Editorial boardsKoenig & Schultz's Disaster Medicine: Comprehensive Principles and Practices