Introduction
Follow-up care refers to the ongoing attention provided to patients after they are discharged from the hospital. According to research by Lin et al. (2020), nearly 20 percent of US citizens visit the Emergency Department (ED) annually. Among these patients, an increasing number are being discharged directly home rather than being hospitalized beforehand. However, patients discharged from the ED exhibit substantial variation in post-discharge outcomes.
Lin et al. (2020) state that the patients in primary care or requiring urgent care are particularly affected due to an increased threat of being readmitted or suffering unexpected death. The problem creates an urgent need for patients discharged from the ED to receive proper care, thereby improving quality and outcomes. The conditions surrounding such care can be complicated and require proper coordination to prevent readmission. For instance, there may be additions or changes in medication that have unspecified or unexpected consequences, especially in the presence of comorbid infections. An early review is necessary to counteract such effects on the patient.
Discipline
Follow-up care is critical in the ED as the department receives several acute medical emergency ailments that require immediate attention, just a few days after discharge from the ED. Care is provided in various ways, including regular medical checkups that may involve blood testing and physical examinations (Lin et al., 2020). My specific focus in delivering follow-up care is conducting regular physical examinations to assess whether patients require readmission or additional medication.
Brief Literature Review
Patients do not follow up with their medical doctor care facility after discharge from the ED. The lack of follow-up care after discharge can lead to adverse health outcomes (Lin et al., 2020). Several factors, such as inadequate communication between the hospital and primary care physicians, may contribute to the problem. Additional factors include the failure to inform patients of the need and importance of follow-up care, as well as challenges in accessing primary care providers.
Furthermore, improving patients’ follow-up care intersects with the Triple/Quadruple Aim and Healthy People 2020 propositions. The Triple Aim aims to advance patients’ understanding of care, improve people’s health, and decrease the per capita cost of healthcare. The Quadruple Aim adds the objective of improving the well-being of healthcare workers (Bachynsky, 2019). Healthy People 2020 is a national initiative that sets objectives for improving the health of Americans by 2020 (Bachynsky, 2019). One of its goals was to reduce preventable hospitalizations by improving access to primary care and reducing healthcare costs. Improving follow-up care can help achieve this objective by ensuring patients receive timely and appropriate care after discharge.
Numerous strategies can be employed to ensure patients receive timely, comprehensive follow-up care. One approach is to enhance communication channels between the hospital and primary care providers, use electronic health records (EHRs), and secure messaging systems. Bachynsky (2019) states that patient education is also a critical strategy for improving follow-up care, particularly by emphasizing its importance. Care coordination is another strategy that can significantly improve follow-up care. By assigning care coordinators to patients who require follow-up care, an organization can help patients schedule appointments with primary care providers, remind them of upcoming appointments, and arrange transportation as needed.
The regulations and benchmarks for follow-up care vary by governance level and the condition being treated. For instance, the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) recommends that patients with diabetes obtain follow-up care within seven days of hospital discharge. The American College of Cardiology (ACC) recommends that patients with heart failure receive follow-up care within seven days of discharge (Lin et al., 2020). The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) measures readmission rates for specific conditions and penalizes hospitals with high readmission rates for those conditions.
Conclusion
There is a need to promote higher follow-up care rates to realize benefits for both patients and hospitals. In particular, it can help to prevent the patient from requiring readmission into the ED and possible hospitalization. Improving patients’ follow-up care can also help to reduce healthcare charges and improve patient outcomes.
According to Lin et al. (2020), early hospital readmission within a short period after discharge in acute medical emergencies results in high, avoidable hospital spending. Suppose patients and hospitals adopt timely follow-up care. In that case, hospital and ED readmission rates, as well as healthcare spending, can be reduced, and the population will benefit from improved health outcomes.
Bibliography
Bachynsky, N. (2019). Implications for policy: The triple aim, quadruple aim, and interprofessional collaboration. Nursing Forum, 55(1), 54–64.
Lin, M. P., Burke, R. C., Orav, E. J., Friend, T. H., & Burke, L. G. (2020). Ambulatory follow-up and outcomes among Medicare beneficiaries after emergency department discharge. JAMA Network Open, 3(10), e2019878.