From Insights to Interventions: Using the unique vantage point of the emergency department to drive transformation

In recent years, the Emergency Department’s role has evolved substantially. The ED treats the acutely sick and injured, serves as a significant interface between outpatient and inpatient care, and serves as the nation’s health care safety net. This produces a unique vantage point, key insights, and data-driven conclusions that address many of the most vexing problems in health care.

Health care leaders – all of whom are experiencing tremendous challenges in today’s environment – are well advised to embrace these observations, formulate new pathways, and drive transformation. Given the challenges facing hospitals and health systems today, all health care leaders must actively leverage every resource and capability of every clinical service line, optimizing and driving value – especially existing services with a high degree of untapped potential.

This paper suggests that emergency departments have a unique opportunity (if not a responsibility) to address longstanding challenges facing health care communities. The issues are usually clear. The answers require that we step out of our current paradigm, design solutions, support them with resources and a solid plan, and back them up with sustainable financial models.

This white paper explains how this vantage point yields crucial insights into much-needed changes in health care, offers concrete suggestions for first steps, and issues a call for transformation. You will learn:

• What an analysis of more than a million patient encounters reveals about the post-discharge “Care Gap”

• Opportunities to leverage and impact the emergency department’s unique view of the health care system

• Ways to improve patient outcomes and satisfaction while increasing health care value for key populations

“The ED can uniquely advise changes. But most importantly, the ED can actively participate in transformation.”