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After-Hours Care, EHR Use Could Help Keep Patients Out of EDs

Primary care practices can reduce pressure on local emergency departments by  offering integrated after-hours health care services that allow for the  sharing of electronic health records, according to a study published in the Journal of Internal  Medicine, Modern Physician reports.

Researchers based the study on interviews with 44 primary care physicians,  practice managers, nurses and health plan representatives from 28 organizations  (Daly, Modern Physician, 6/5).

Key Findings

Researchers found that the following features contributed to successful  after-hours health care models:

  • Shared EHRs; and
  • Systematic notification procedures between after-hours programs and daytime  primary care providers.

According to the study, one interviewee said that the “most critical piece of  setting up after-hours care is information exchange in real time” (Hitt, Medscape, 6/6).

Implications

Although smaller practices have fewer resources with which to provide  after-hours care, researchers said they could play a key role in curbing  unnecessary ED use because more than 70% of office visits are to practices with  five or fewer primary care physicians.

Researchers also noted that planning grants from payers or foundations  could help small practices develop after-hours health care programs (Modern  Physician, 6/5).

Source: iHealthBeat

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