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Background Many patients present to the Emergency Department (ED) for multiple visits. Whatever the cause, assuring the highest quality of care is difficult in the ED. Objectives We sought to implement a web-based, ED-initiated, multidisciplinary program to improve patient care and reduce frequent visits to the ED. Methods The top 50 ED frequent visitors were identified and care plans were constructed. Care plans consist primarily of a summary of the patient's pertinent history and any psychosocial issues that can contribute to frequent use of the ED, and recommend treatment plans for these patients. Results During the study period, ED visits by the top 50 chronic frequent visitors ranged from 88 to 98 visits/month and 28 to 31 admissions/month. As of January 2007, the top 50 frequent visitors had 94 ED visits/month (1,129 visits/year) for 2.2% of the total census, and 31 admissions/month (372 admissions per year) for approximately 3.3% of the total admissions. Each frequent visitor has approximately 22.6 visits/year (range from 11 to 41) and 7.3 admissions/year (range from 0 to 20). By May 2008, the top 50 frequent visitors had a decrease to 88 visits/month (1,059 visits/year) and 28 admissions/month (340 admissions/year), with each frequent visitor having 21.2 visits/year and 6.8 admissions/year. Social determinants included psychiatric disease (36%), substance abuse (22%), malingering (20%), medication noncompliance (16%), and unstable housing (10%). Conclusions There was a trend toward a decrease of monthly ED visits by the top 50 ED frequent visitors, but no effect on the rate of admissions. Based on these preliminary data and the relative ease of integration into the system, this project shows the potential to begin to address the problem of chronic ED use with patient care plans.

Children who require emergency care have unique needs, especially when emergencies are serious or life-threatening. The majority of ill and injured children are brought to community hospital emergency departments (EDs) by virtue of their geography within communities. Similarly, emergency medical services (EMS) agencies provide the bulk of out-of-hospital emergency care to children. It is imperative, therefore, that all hospital EDs have the appropriate resources (medications, equipment, policies, and education) and staff to provide effective emergency care for children. This statement outlines resources necessary to ensure that hospital EDs stand ready to care for children of all ages, from neonates to adolescents. These guidelines are consistent with the recommendations of the Institute of Medicine's report on the future of emergency care in the United States health system. Although resources within emergency and trauma care systems vary locally, regionally, and nationally, it is essential that hospital ED staff and administrators and EMS systems' administrators and medical directors seek to meet or exceed these guidelines in efforts to optimize the emergency care of children they serve. This statement has been endorsed by the Academic Pediatric Association, American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Physician Assistants, American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians, American College of Surgeons, American Heart Association, American Medical Association, American Pediatric Surgical Association, Brain Injury Association of America, Child Health Corporation of America, Children's National Medical Center, Family Voices, National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions, National Association of EMS Physicians, National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians, National Association of State EMS Officials, National Committee for Quality Assurance, National PTA, Safe Kids USA, Society of Trauma Nurses, Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, and The Joint Commission.