THE IMPACT OF NON-URGENT EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT (ED) VISITS ON HEATHCARE ORGANIZATIONS AND PATIENT CARE.

This paper addresses the non-urgent use of the Emergency Department (ED) and the impact it has on both healthcare organizations and patient care. Emergency Departments are a vital part of the healthcare system seeing on average 27 million patients per year. Of those 27 million, 18 million visits are considered nonurgent. As costs associated with healthcare continue to rise, identifying ways to cut down on these non-urgent visits will benefit both healthcare systems and patients alike. This project seeks to offer solutions that can help healthcare organizations mitigate these factors in order to reduce inappropriate use of the emergency department as well as better serve the needs of their community. Overall, the goal of this project is to understand the needs of the patients within their community, reduce spending and offer solutions that are sustainable for generations to come. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]