Avoidable emergency department visits: a starting point

Objective: To better characterize and understand the nature of a very conservative definition of 'avoidable' emergency department (ED) visits in the United States to provide policymakers insight into what interventions can target non-urgent ED visits. We performed a retrospective analysis of a very conservative definition of 'avoidable' ED visits using data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey from 2005 to 2011. We examined a total of 115 081 records, representing 424 million ED visits made by patients aged 18-64 years who were seen in the ED and discharged home. We defined 'avoidable' as ED visits that did not require any diagnostic or screening services, procedures or medications, and were discharged home. In total, 3.3% (95% CI: 3.0-3.7) of all ED visits were 'avoidable.' The top five chief complaints included toothache, back pain, headache, other symptoms/problems related to psychosis and throat soreness. Alcohol abuse, dental disorders and depressive disorders were among the top three ICD-9 discharge diagnoses. Alcohol-related disorders and mood disorders accounted for 6.8% (95% CI: 5.7-8.0) of avoidable visits, and dental disorders accounted for 3.9% (95% CI: 3.0-4.8) of CCS-grouped discharge diagnoses. A significant number of 'avoidable' ED visits were for mental health and dental conditions, which the ED is not fully equipped to treat. Our findings provide a better understanding of what policy initiatives could potentially reduce these 'avoidable' ED visits to address the gaps in our healthcare system, such as increased access to mental health and dental care.