Trends in emergency department utilization following common operations in New York State, 2005-2014

Outcomes of emergency general surgery admissions in patients experiencing homelessness: A matched cohort study

BACKGROUND

Housing status impacts outcomes after elective and emergent operations but has not been well studied in the emergency general surgery population. This study investigates the impact of housing status on complications and 30-day follow-up, emergency department visits, and readmissions after emergency general surgery admission.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective matched cohort study of adult patients admitted with an emergency general surgery diagnosis at an urban, safety net hospital from 2014 to 2021. Patients were matched 1 to 2 on the basis of age, sex, Charlson Comorbidity Index, diagnosis, and operative status. The primary exposure was unhoused status. The primary outcome was in-hospital complications. Secondary outcomes included intensive care unit admission, extended length of stay, follow-up attendance, and emergency department visit or unplanned readmission within 30 days. Multivariable conditional logistic regression was used to determine the association between housing status and the outcomes of interest.

RESULTS

The study included 531 patients (177 unhoused, 354 housed). There were no significant differences in complications, intensive care unit admissions, or extended length of stay. Unhoused patients had lower odds of outpatient follow-up (odds ratio, 0.54; 95% confidence interval, 0.35-0.85, P = .008) and higher odds of emergency department utilization (odds ratio, 2.72; 95% confidence interval, 1.78-4.14, P < .001) and readmission (odds ratio, 1.87; 95% confidence interval, 1.09-3.19, P = .02).

CONCLUSION

Compared with housed patients, unhoused patients with emergency general surgery conditions have lower rates of outpatient follow-up and greater odds of using the emergency department and being readmitted within 30 days of discharge. This points to a need for dedicated posthospitalization care and creative methods of engaging with this population.

Examining emergency department utilization following bariatric surgery

BACKGROUND

Emergency department (ED) utilization following surgery is poorly understood and places immense strain on the healthcare system, being responsible for up to $38 billion in wasteful spending annually. The aim of this study was to quantify ED utilization following bariatric procedures to identify causes and areas of improvement.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A retrospective review of a prospectively maintained database was conducted for all patients who underwent metabolic bariatric surgery (MBS) between November 2006 and June 2019. The study includes 4703 patients across 8 hospitals in a single health system. Patients who returned to the ED within 30 and 90 days were analyzed for relation to surgery and preventability.

RESULTS

Of the 4703 patients that underwent MBS, 907 (19.3%) visited the ED at least once within 90 days and 350 (7.4%) required hospital readmission. The most common bariatric procedure performed was the Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (RYGB) (3716/4703) with an average BMI of 43.8. The median length between discharge and ED visit was 19 days. Under 50% of patients called prior to ED presentation and 61% of these ED visits resulted in discharge.

CONCLUSION

While hospital readmissions following MBS have been scrutinized in literature, investigation of ED utilization remains scarce. Our study is one of few to investigate postoperative ED utilization up to 90 days following bariatric intervention. A clear opportunity exists to improve discharge education and early post-discharge communication. This would additionally alleviate burden to allow focus on the acutely ill.

Is there an outcome benefit? Patient engagement technology in addition to the electronic medical record patient portal following elective colorectal surgery

BACKGROUND

Patient engagement technologies (PET) are an area of growing innovation and investment, but whether PET use in the setting of electronic medical record (EMR) supported patient portals are associated with improved outcomes is unknown. Therefore, we assessed PET and EMR activation among patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery on an enhanced recovery pathway.

METHODS

We identified adults undergoing elective colorectal surgery between 1/2017 and 7/2021. EMR activations were assessed and patients were considered PET users if they used a proprietary PET application. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with PET use and determine whether the level of engagement (percentage of messages read by the patient) was associated with 30-day outcomes.

RESULTS

484 patients (53.5% PET users, 81.6% with an activated EMR patient portal, 30.8% ≥ 70 years of age) were included. PET users were younger, more likely to have their EMR portal activated and had decreased odds of prolonged length of stay [odds ratio (OR) 0.5, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.4-0.8]. Among patients ≥ 70 years, PET users had reduced odds of readmissions (OR 0.2, 95% CI 0.1-0.9) compared to PET non-users. The most engaged PET users had decreased morbidity (OR 0.2, 95% CI 0.1-0.8) and readmissions (OR 0.3, 95% CI 0.1-0.8) compared to the least engaged PET users.

CONCLUSION

When controlling for EMR activation, patients who use PET, specifically those with higher levels of engagement or aged ≥ 70, have improved outcomes following elective colorectal surgery. Interventions aimed at increasing the adoption of PET among older adults may be warranted.

Evaluation of emergency department treat-and-release encounters after major gastrointestinal surgery

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Emergency department (ED) utilization after gastrointestinal cancer operations is poorly characterized. Our study objectives were to determine the incidence of, reasons for, and predictors of ED treat-and-release encounters after gastrointestinal cancer operations.

METHODS

Patients who underwent elective esophageal, hepatobiliary, gastric, pancreatic, small intestinal, or colorectal operations for cancer were identified in the 2015-2017 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Inpatient and State Emergency Department Databases for New York, Maryland, and Florida. The primary outcomes were the incidence of ED treat-and-release encounters and readmissions within 30 days of discharge.

RESULTS

Among 51 527 patients at 406 hospitals, 4047 (7.9%) had an ED treat-and-release encounter, and 5573 (10.8%) had an ED encounter with readmission. In total, 40.7% of ED encounters were treat-and-release encounters. ED treat-and-release encounters were most frequently for pain (12.0%), device/ostomy complaints (11.7%), or wound complaints (11.4%). ED treat-and-release encounters predictors included non-Hispanic Black race/ethnicity (odds ratio [OR] 1.24, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.12-1.37) and Medicare (OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.16-1.40) or Medicaid (OR 1.82, 95% CI 1.62-2.40) coverage.

CONCLUSIONS

ED treat-and-release encounters are common after major gastrointestinal operations, making up nearly half of postdischarge ED encounters. The reasons for ED treat-and-release encounters differ from those for ED encounters with readmissions.

Prevalence of and Risk Factors for Emergency Department Visits After Outpatient Gynecologic Surgery

STUDY OBJECTIVE

To identify the prevalence of and risk factors for emergency department (ED) visits within 30 days of outpatient gynecologic surgery.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

Tertiary academic medical institution.

PATIENTS

Adult patients who underwent outpatient surgery (≤1 midnight in the hospital) between January 2018 and September 2019 (N = 2373).

INTERVENTIONS

Scheduled outpatient gynecologic surgery for a benign indication.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

A total of 109 patients (5%) visited the ED within 30 days of surgery. Patients who visited the ED were significantly younger (median age 37 years vs 42 years, p = .02) and had a higher prevalence of abdominal surgical history (67% vs 56%, p = .02) and cardiopulmonary comorbidities (53% vs 40%, p = .007). They were more likely to have undergone a hysterectomy (26% vs 20%) and less likely to have undergone prolapse surgery (4% vs 12%, p = .05). Pain related to the surgical site (42% of ED visits), nausea and/or vomiting (14%), and fever (12%) were the most common surgery-related reasons for ED visits. Medical issues not directly related to surgery accounted for 31% of ED visits. A total of 36% of ED visits resulted in admission. When adjusted for age, insurance status, American Society of Anesthesiologists class, chronic pain and cardiopulmonary comorbidities, abdominal surgical history, primary procedure performed, and surgical route, the following factors were associated with significantly increased risk of visiting the ED: decreasing age (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.2, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1-1.3, p <.001), history of abdominal surgery (aOR 1.7, 95% CI 1.1-2.6, p = .017), cardiopulmonary comorbidities (aOR 1.9, 95% CI 1.2-3.0, p = .003), undergoing hysterectomy (aOR 2.0, 95% CI 1.1-3.8, p = .032), and a vulvovaginal surgical route as opposed to abdominal surgical route (aOR 2.4, 95% CI 1.2-5.1, p = .015).

CONCLUSION

ED visits after outpatient gynecologic surgery were uncommon, although approximately one-third of visits resulted in admission. Strategies that target our identified risk factors of younger patient age and cardiopulmonary comorbidities may help reduce the ED burden generated by patients undergoing gynecologic surgery.

Clinical Profile, Etiology, and Management Outcomes of Pediatric Ocular Trauma in Saudi Arabia

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate cases of pediatric ocular trauma at a tertiary eye hospital in central Saudi Arabia and determine the demographics, causes, ocular injuries, and visual status before and after management.

METHODS

A retrospective review was performed of health records of children younger than 16 years with ocular trauma managed from January 1998 to December 2019. Data were collected on patient demographics, eye involved, cause of trauma, the presenting and final vision, and the duration of follow-up. Best-corrected visual acuity at the last follow-up was compared between open and closed eye injury groups. The Birmingham Eye Trauma Terminology was used to classify the ocular injuries.

RESULTS

Among 1003 patients, 728 (72.6%) had open globe and 275 (27.4%) had closed globe injuries. The main causes of trauma were unsafe playing-related activities (n = 394; 39.3%), unsafe home environment (n = 158;15.8%) and injury by metallic objects (n = 166; 16.6%). Gunshot-related ocular trauma was noted in 62 (6.2%) children. Presenting vision less than 20/400 was noted in 292 (40.1%) eyes with open globe injuries and 110 (40%) eyes with closed globe injuries (P = 0.4). After a median follow-up of 13.3 months, best-corrected visual acuity was 20/20 to 20/200 in 393 (53%) eyes with open globe injuries and 137 (49.8%) eyes with closed globe injuries (P = 0.03).

CONCLUSIONS

Despite proper management, children in this study sustained significant permanent visual loss secondary to ocular trauma. Public health efforts in Saudi Arabia are needed to reduce preventable injury-related childhood blindness.

Risk Factors for Preventable Emergency Department Use After Outpatient Hand Surgery

PURPOSE

Emergency department (ED) visits for postoperative concerns that could be safely addressed in outpatient clinics have an impact on cost, quality measures, and care workflows. Patient-reported data (PRD) may give unique insights into individual-level factors that predict overuse of health care resources, and guide opportunities for intervention and prevention. We investigated the relationship between preoperative PRD and preventable ED use after outpatient hand surgery to determine whether the preoperative PRD can be used to identify patients at higher odds of having preventable ED visits.

METHODS

All adult patients undergoing outpatient surgery at our hand center between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2019, were included. Questionnaires, including the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) upper extremity (UE) and pain interference (PI) scales, were completed before surgery. We used our regional health information exchange to identify ED visits within 90 days of surgery.

RESULTS

Our cohort included 2,819 patients. Within 90 days after surgery, 106 (3.8%) had preventable ED visits. Race, insurance status, and transportation issues increased odds of a preventable ED visit. Multivariable models found that each 1-point increase in the preoperative PROMIS UE score was associated with 4% decreased odds of ED presentation (odds ratio, 0.96; 95% confidence interval, 0.94-0.99), and each 1-point increase in the preoperative PROMIS PI score was associated with 4% increased odds of ED presentation (odds ratio, 1.04; 95% confidence interval, 1.0-1.1). Any PROMIS UE or PI scores ≥1SDs worse than population norms increased the probability of a preventable ED visit, independent of other factors.

CONCLUSIONS

Worse preoperative PROMIS UE and PI scores were associated with increased odds of preventable ED visits. Preoperative PRD may allow for identification of outliers at higher risk for preventable ED use, and facilitate preventative interventions.

TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Prognostic IV.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Pediatric Hospital Visits: Evidence from the State of Florida

Although early evidence reported a substantial decline in pediatric hospital visits during COVID-19, it is unclear whether the decline varied across different counties, particularly in designated Medically Underserved Areas (MUA). The objective of this study is to explore the state-wide impact of COVID-19 on pediatric hospital visit patterns, including the economic burden and MUA communities. We conducted a retrospective observational study of pediatric hospital visits using the Florida State all-payer Emergency Department (ED) and Inpatient dataset during the pandemic (April-September 2020) and the same period in 2019. Pediatric Treat-and-Release ED and inpatient visit rates were compared by patient demographics, socioeconomic, diagnosis, MUA status, and hospital characteristics. Pediatric hospital visits in Florida decreased by 53.7% (62.3% in April-June, 44.2% in July-September) during the pandemic. The Treat-and-Release ED and inpatient visits varied up to 5- and 3-fold, respectively, across counties. However, changes in hospital visits across MUA counties were similar compared with non-MUA counties except for lower Treat-and-Release ED volume in April-May. The disproportional decrease in visits was notable for the underserved population, including Hispanic and African American children; Medicaid coverages; non-children's hospitals; and diagnosed with respiratory diseases, appendicitis, and sickle-cell. Florida Hospitals experienced a USD 1.37 billion (average USD 8.3 million) decline in charges across the study period in 2020. Disproportionate decrease in hospital visits, particularly in the underserved population, suggest a combined effect of the persistent challenge of care access and changes in healthcare-seeking behavior during the pandemic. These findings suggest that providers and policymakers should emphasize alternative interventions/programs ensuring adequate care during the pandemic, particularly for high-risk children.

Emergency Department Utilization Following Hepatopancreatic Surgery Among Medicare Beneficiaries

BACKGROUND

Care delivered in hospital-based emergency departments (ED) is a target for cost savings. ED utilization following hepatopancreatic surgery remains poorly defined. We sought to define the rate of ED utilization following liver and pancreatic resection, as well as to identify factors associated with ED visits post-discharge.

METHODS

The Medicare 100% Standard Analytic Files were used to identify Medicare beneficiaries who underwent hepatectomy or pancreatectomy between 2013 and 2017. Claims associated with ED services were identified using the relevant Revenue Center Codes. Patient characteristics and postoperative outcomes associated with ED care within 30 days of discharge were investigated.

RESULTS

Among 37,707 patients who underwent hepatopancreatic surgery, 10,323 (27.4%) had at least one ED visit within 30 days of discharge. Patients presenting to the ED were more likely to be male (OR 1.13, 95%CI 1.07-1.18). Patients undergoing a pancreatectomy (OR 1.39, 95%CI 1.32-1.47), as well as patients who had a perioperative complication (OR 1.16, 95%CI 1.10-1.23) and patients not discharged home (OR 1.41, 95%CI 1.33-1.49), were more likely to require ED care. In contrast, patients undergoing resection for cancer or surgery for an elective basis were less likely to present to the ED postoperatively (OR 0.92, 95%CI 0.87-0.97 and OR 0.22, 95%CI 0.20-0.23, respectively). Patients often had multiple ED visits within 30 days of discharge as 37.2% of patients presented to the ED with at least 2 visits. Visits were also most common in the immediate postoperative period, with 30.9% of ED visits taking place in the first 2 days from discharge. Among patients requiring postoperative ED care, 53.9% were readmitted within 30 days.

CONCLUSION

More than 1 in 4 patients undergoing hepatopancreatic surgery presented to the ED within 30 days of discharge, with most patients returning to the ED within the first week of discharge. A subset of patients had multiple ED visits. Future efforts should target patients most likely to be high ED utilizers to avoid the need for early post-discharge ED use.

Determining the incidence of postbariatric surgery emergency department utilization: an analysis of a statewide insurance database

BACKGROUND

Prior studies have found rates of emergency department (ED) visits after bariatric surgery approach 15% with the majority (>60%) not requiring admission. The timeframe for which ED utilization remains elevated postoperatively remains unknown. We hypothesize that ED utilization following bariatric surgery remains elevated for months after surgery with the majority of visits not requiring admission.

OBJECTIVE

No study has determined the impact bariatric surgery has on health care resource utilization in the two years following surgery. The aim of this study is to determine the frequency of ED visitation in the 2 years following bariatric surgery.

SETTINGS

Database study, single state-wide insurance database.

METHODS

We queried the Colorado All Payers Claim Database. Patients with data 1 year before and 2 years after surgery were included. Primary outcomes of interest were ED visits or readmissions during the 2-year period. Bariatric surgeries were identified using CPT codes. Diagnoses for an ED visit or readmission were determined by ICD codes.

RESULTS

A total of 5399 patients underwent bariatric surgery from January 2013-November 2017. Of these, 59% underwent sleeve gastrectomy, 38% Roux-en-Y, 2% gastric band, and 1% another surgery. Median age was 44 (IQR 35-54) years, and 82% were female. Overall, 3103 patients (57%) visited the ED at least once with a total of 12,988 visits, 1267 of which (9.8%) resulted in admission. ED use was highest in the 30 days following surgery (17%) but remained above presurgery baseline for 8 months (7.4% at 8 mo compared with baseline mean 6.4% [95% CI 6.0%-6.8%]).

CONCLUSIONS

ED visits remain elevated for 8 months post bariatric surgery with over 90% of visits not requiring an admission. Interventions that prevent emergency department utilization should be key focus of quality improvement projects to limit health care resource utilization following bariatric surgery.

Emergency department overutilization following cholecystectomy and inguinal hernia repair

BACKGROUND

Emergency Department (ED) utilization following general surgery procedures is poorly understood and places immense strain on the healthcare system. Inefficient ED utilization is responsible for up to $38 billion in wasteful spending annually. Nearly 56% of ED visits may be avoidable. The aim of our study was to quantify ED utilization following elective cholecystectomy (CCY) and inguinal hernia repair (IHR), to characterize the impact and identify causes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This retrospective study included patients across eight hospitals in a single health system undergoing elective CCY and IHR between January 2018 to June 2019. Patients who returned to the ED within 30 and 90 days were analyzed for hospital readmission, preventability (based on the Goldfield criteria), relation to index surgery and clinician communication within 48 h of presentation.

RESULTS

In total, 3678 patients had elective surgery in this timeframe. Of these, 476 patients (13.1%) visited the ED at least once within 90 days from their surgical admission discharge date and 114 were readmitted to the hospital (23.9%). Average length from discharge to ED presentation was 27.1 days. The mean cost associated with these ED visits was $974 per visit. 31.9% communicated with their clinician within 48 h of ED presentation. 73.9% of ED visits occurred between Monday - Friday and 51.5% took place between the hours of 8 am-5 pm. 46.6% of ED visits were related to the index operation and 40.7% of ED visits were deemed preventable.

CONCLUSIONS

While hospital readmissions have been scrutinized in the literature, relatively little is known about postoperative ED utilization. Our study is one of the first to document postoperative ED utilization up to 90 days after surgery. For just two common elective general surgery procedures, we found these visits were financially burdensome and led to ED discharge in > 75% of patients. Numerous opportunities to improve care were identified. Most ED visits occurred on weekdays and during daylight hours, suggesting an opportunity to utilize outpatient clinics in lieu of the ED. Nearly 50% were related to the operation and nearly 40% were preventable. Revamping the discharge instructions and post-discharge communication-including novel strategies leveraging telemedicine-by providers has the potential to dramatically decrease postoperative ED utilization.

Examining emergency department utilization in the post-foregut surgery patient

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to examine emergency department (ED) utilization following minimally invasive foregut surgery and determine its impact on costs. Furthermore, we sought to determine their relationship to the index procedure, whether they are preventable, and describe strategies for decreasing unnecessary ED visits.

METHODS

A retrospective review was conducted for all patients undergoing foregut procedures from January 2018 through June 2019. ED utilization was examined from 0 to 90 days. The proportion of visits related to surgery, preventable visits, and median ED costs were compared between visits occurring 0-30 days (early) versus 31-90 days (delayed) postoperatively as well as occurring from 8 am to 5 pm versus 5 pm to 8 am.

RESULTS

Of 458 patients who underwent foregut surgery, 72.5% were female and the mean age was 60 years old. 92 patients (20%) presented to the ED within 90 days. Of these, 59 patients (64.1%) presented to the ED early versus 33 patients (35.9%) delayed. 56.5% of ED visits occurred during clinic hours. 56 (60.9%) ED visits were related to the procedure and 20 (35.7%) were preventable. The median ED return cost was $970. Early ED visits were significantly more likely to be related to surgery (72.9% vs 39.4%, p = 0.0016). There was no significant difference in the proportion of visits that were preventable (32.6% vs 46.2%, p = 0.3755) and ED return cost did not vary significantly ($995 vs $965, p = 0.43) between early and delayed visits.

CONCLUSIONS

ED visits are common after foregut surgery and represent a financial burden on healthcare. Most visits occur early and are more likely to be related to surgery. Importantly, more than one-third of ED visits related to surgery were preventable and most occurred during clinic hours on weekdays. Providers should consider implementation of strategies to improve outpatient utilization and decrease unnecessary ED visits.