MPC Member Publications

This database contains a listing of population studies publications written by MPC Members. Anyone can add a publication by an MPC student, faculty, or staff member to this database; new citations will be reviewed and approved by MPC administrators.

Full Citation

Title: Emergency department utilization as a measure of physician performance

Citation Type: Journal Article

Publication Year: 2014

ISSN: 1555-824X; 1062-8606

DOI: 10.1177/1062860613487196 [doi]

PMID: 23687240

Abstract: Visits to the emergency department (ED) are costly, and because some of them are potentially avoidable, some types of ED visits also may be indicative of poor care management, inadequate access to care, or poor choices on the part of beneficiaries. Billings and colleagues developed an algorithm to analyze ED visits and assign probabilities that each visit falls into several categories of appropriateness. The algorithm has been used previously to assess the appropriateness of ED visits at the community or facility level. In this analysis, the authors explain how the Billings algorithm works and how it can be applied to individual physician practices. The authors then present illustrative data from 2 years of Medicare claims data from 5 states. About one third of ED visits are deemed appropriate, and about half could have been treated in a primary care outpatient setting. Another 15% were deemed preventable or avoidable.

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Authors: Dowd, Bryan E; Karmarker, M; Swenson, Tami C; Parashuram, Shriram; Kane, Robert L; Coulam, Robert; Jeffery, Molly Moore

Periodical (Full): American Journal of Medical Quality : The Official Journal of the American College of Medical Quality

Issue: 2

Volume: 29

Pages: 135-277

Countries:

IPUMS NHGIS NAPP IHIS ATUS Terrapop