As we head into the peak of flu season, many facilities are already feeling the effects of increased volumes, such as:
The unpredictable impact on and future of ED/Urgent Care Services as a result of ACA will inevitably place a burden on organizations that are already striving for improved door to physician times to affect better outcomes and patient satisfaction ratings; the increased patient flow has the potential to derail the advances made to date.
The Journal of Health Affairs estimates that more than 30% of physicians will be unwilling to accept the 17 million new Medicare patients, leaving these patients no choice but to access care through the ED or urgent care. The ObamaCare Survival Guide even refers to the ED setting as "back up" for both the newly insured as well as those uninsured by choice.
Given these factors, we recommend you assess your current triage practices and consider the following:
A proactive stance will mitigate the challenges - prepare for increasing volumes by providing triage staff with the tools, resources and education required to meet the predicted shift in patient demographics and increased volume.
SOURCES:
Cohen, Shelley. Triage Trainer Update. Hohenwald, TN. Health Resources Unlimited. 2013.
Marco, Catherine, et al. The Ethics of Health Care Reform. Impact on Emergency Medicine. AEM. 19 94;, pages 461-466. 2012.
Tate, Nick. ObamaCare Survival Guide. West Palm Beach. Humanix Books. 2012.