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Avoidable Emergency Department Visits

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References

Description of Indicator

This indicator measures the proportion of emergency department visits made by residents, which were non-urgent, avoidable and more appropriately treated in a primary care setting.

Primary care has been shown to improve overall health, help prevent illness and death, and reduce differences in health across a community (8). Emergency care is more expensive, lacks patient follow up, and does not provide preventive care. Studies show that hospital stays related to emergency care are longer than hospital stays tied to primary care.

Emergency department treatment of non-urgent conditions, as well as avoidable visits better treated in a primary care setting, result in an inefficient use of emergency departments that may lead to overcrowding (9).

Alternative sources of care such as urgent care centers, clinics, preventive services, and/or dial-a-nurse hotlines can be developed or expanded to reduce unnecessary emergency department visits. The California Department of Health Care Services has published findings of the Statewide Collaborative Quality Improvement Project on reducing avoidable emergency room visits.

Why is this Important to Health?

Resources

Newport Beach Villa Park Laguna Woods Laguna Beach Seal Beach Laguna Niguel San Clemente Mission Viejo Dana Point Yorba Linda Huntington Beach Irvine Laguna Hills Los Alamitos Rancho Santa Margarita Fountain Valley Lake Forest Aliso Viejo San Juan Capistrano La Palma Costa Mesa Brea Cypress Westminster California Tustin Orange Orange County Placentia La Habra Fullerton Garden Grove Buena Park Stanton Anaheim Santa Ana Percent of Emergency Department Visits that were Avoidable by City, 2006-2008

37% 37% 37% 39% 39% 39% 39% 40% 40% 40% 40% 41% 41% 41% 41% 41% 42% 42% 42% 42% 43% 43% 43% 44% 44% 45% 45% 45% 46% 46% 47% 47% 48% 48% 49% 50%

Avoidable Emergency Department Visits by Zip Code, 2006-2008

LOS ANGELES

La Palma Buena Park La Habra Brea

Fullerton

Placentia

SAN BERNARDINO

Yorba Linda

Cypress Los Alamitos Anaheim

Stanton

Garden Grove Orange Villa Park

Seal Beach Westminster

Santa Ana

Fountain Valley Huntington Beach

Costa Mesa Tustin

Irvine Unincorporated

Lake Forest

Newport Beach Rancho Santa Margarita

Laguna Woods Mission Viejo

Laguna Hills Aliso Viejo

RIVERSIDE

Unincorporated

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Percent of emergency department visits that were avoidable

33% - 39% 40% - 43% 44%- 47% 48% - 52% Data missing or unstable

Laguna Beach Laguna Niguel

San Juan Capistrano

Dana Point

San Clemente

SAN DIEGO

0 2.5 5 10 Miles

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