"Know Before You Go" Campaign

Question: What is the purpose of this new St. Joseph’s Mercy Health System campaign?

 

Answer: To educate residents of the community, including its own St. Joseph’s Mercy co-workers, about the importance of the proper utilization of various points of healthcare service, including the Emergency Department, Express Care Clinics and other clinics and offices/clinics of physicians.

 

 

Question: Regarding proper usage of healthcare services, how does “Know Before You Go” apply to residents of the community served by St. Joseph’s Mercy?

 

Answer: Healthcare reform really does involve everyone, because when an individual becomes a patient, he or she can play an important role in helping to reduce healthcare costs by utilizing the most appropriate avenue for care. Simply put, for all parties involved, it is best when a “Know Before You Go” approach is taken. An informed patient can help in the delivery of the right care at the right point of access.

 

 

Question: What is an example of improper healthcare service usage?

 

Answer: Emergency Departments (ED) across America are being both over utilized and improperly utilized, resulting in valuable resources being taken away from those who really need it and the subsequent expansion and escalation of healthcare costs.

• The overall volumes in the St. Joseph’s Mercy ED so far this fiscal year have increased 11 percent, compared to the same time period last year (July through September of 2008). Nationally, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the annual number of ED visits increased by 32 percent (90.3 million to 119.2 million) between 1996 and 2006.

• The percentage of non-emergent patients seen in the St. Joseph’s Mercy ED during the current fiscal year through 9/30/09 is at 34 percent of overall volumes. According to a study done by the New England Healthcare Institute, almost 14 percent of America’s ED visits were non-emergent in 2005, which compares to the average of 9.7 in 1997.

• On average, it costs over $1,000 to treat a non-emergent condition in the St. Joseph’s Mercy ED as compared to approximately $100 in an Express Care Clinic or a primary care physician’s office/clinic.

• In the past 12 months (November 2008 through October 2009), five people from the Hot Springs area have combined to make 381 non-emergent visits to the St. Joseph’s Mercy ED. None of the visits required admission to the hospital, but resulted in total charges of $664,121. Moreover, experts say the ED is not equipped to provide such non-emergent patients with the continuity of care required to manage chronic conditions. Unlike the primary care physician and Express Care Clinic systems, EDs are not designed to promote prevention or monitor patient follow-up and compliance.

 

 

Question: Is there anything being done to lessen the trend of inappropriate ED usage and the subsequent escalation of healthcare costs that come with it?

 

Answer: In a sincere effort to be a responsible steward of its mission, St. Joseph’s Mercy, like many other healthcare systems across the country, has implemented a new education program for patients who visit the ED. The process, part of the “Know Before You Go” campaign, includes a consultation to inform patients of the most appropriate care and treatment at the most effective point of access. This preserves the ED resources for those with true emergent needs.

 

 

Question: How will the new St. Joseph’s Mercy ED “Know Before You Go” screening process work?

 

Answer:

• Each patient who comes to the ED is seen by a physician to determine if they are in active labor or suffering from an emergent or life-threatening medical condition.

• Each patient who is in active labor or suffering from an emergent or life-threatening medical condition will be stabilized and treated.

• Each patient who is determined not to be in active labor or suffering from an emergent or life-threatening condition – because the ED would be a far more expensive avenue in which to continue for treatment – is informed of access points of care that are more appropriate for their condition or injury.

For informtion on how other healthcare institutions throughout the nation are being affected by the improper utilization of services, please visits the following links:

New England Healthcare Institute

Austin Texas Emergency Department