Behavior, Health
Conditions
Keywords
Emergency Department Use, Urgent Care Use
Brief summary
Decreasing utilization of the Emergency Department (ED) is a priority for the system. Often, ED visits can be avoided if patients contact Geisinger first to get appropriate direction for their concern or are otherwise better informed about reasons to visit the ED vs. urgent care or primary care facilities. The study team is working to reduce ED utilization by including additional information in adult outpatient After Visit Summaries (AVSs). The study will involve will involve A/B testing different AVS versions, including 1) a version that encourages patients to contact Geisinger via different contact methods, 2) a version that includes a map to the patient's closest ConvenientCare location and accompanying information about ConvenientCare, and 3) a version that includes a self-triage guide. A control group will receive the current standard AVS. Analysis results will be assessed to determine which version is most effective at reducing ED use.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALContact information
Information on how to contact Geisinger if the patient needs care
BEHAVIORALUrgent care map
A map of the patient's nearest Geisinger urgent care location, with information about urgent care
BEHAVIORALSelf-triage chart
A chart demonstrating what to do in response to several common conditions where the patient might be compelled to visit the ED
Sponsors
Geisinger Clinic
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Age 18+ * Has a Geisinger Primary Care Physician assigned * Completes an outpatient office visit or telemedicine appointment at Geisinger
Exclusion criteria
* The AVS was not printed according to the EHR, and the patient does not have an active MyGeisinger patient portal account, so they do not have a way to view the AVS
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Inappropriate ED visits | In the 30 days following the appointment | Visited the ED inappropriately (y/n) We will apply the NYU algorithm (Ballard et al., 2010) to determine whether an ED visit is inappropriate. |
Other
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Urgent care visits | In the 30 days following the appointment | Visited urgent care (y/n) |
| Calls | In the 30 days following the appointment | Called Geisinger (y/n) |
| Patient portal messages | In the 30 days following the appointment | Sent a patient portal message (y/n) |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed