Over Half Of Medicare FFS Emergency Room Visits Could Be Addressed In Ambulatory Settings

About 59% of emergency department visits made by Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries during 2006 through 2008 were for services that could have been provided in less expensive ambulatory care settings. Upper respiratory tract infections were the most common diagnosis in potentially preventable emergency department visits. About 25% of hospital admissions could also have been avoided with adequate ambulatory care. Heart failure was the most common diagnosis in potentially preventable hospital admissions. The findings were presented in “Population-Based Measures Of Ambulatory Care Quality: Potentially Preventable Admissions & Emergency Department Visits” by Sara Sadownik and Nancy Ray at the October . . .