TRICAREs Impact on Emergency Department Use at the National Naval Medical Center

Abstract

The author performed a retrospective, comparative analysis of the impact of a wide-scale managed care program (TRICARE) on Emergency Department use at the Nation Naval Medical Center. Patients included in the study presented to the ED during either or both of two six-month study periods, before and after TRICARE. Patients were compared by demographics, urgency of visits, number of visits, and principle diagnosis. Although ED use decreased in the comparision period, more patients presented with greater frequency and with case-manageable diseases. Several recommendations are offered to reduce the number of unecessary ED visits. They are; improve access to Primary Care, implement ED case management, triage more patients out of the ED, implement co-pats, and improve education and training.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 01, 1999
Accession Number
ADA420809

Entities

People

  • Richard J. Prior Ii

Organizations

  • Academy of Health Sciences

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Education
  • Health Care
  • Health Services
  • Medical Personnel
  • Military Medicine
  • Pain
  • Patient Care
  • Therapy
  • Training

Fields of Study

  • Medicine

Readers

  • Instructional Design and Training Evaluation.
  • Medical or Health Care Field.