Benefits of implementing a rapid access clinic in a high-volume inflammatory bowel disease center : Access, resource utilization and outcomes

©The Author(s) 2020. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved..

BACKGROUND: Emergency situations in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) put significant burden on both the patient and the healthcare system.

AIM: To prospectively measure Quality-of-Care indicators and resource utilization after the implementation of the new rapid access clinic service (RAC) at a tertiary IBD center.

METHODS: Patient access, resource utilization and outcome parameters were collected from consecutive patients contacting the RAC between July 2017 and March 2019 in this observational study. For comparing resource utilization and healthcare costs, emergency department (ED) visits of IBD patients with no access to RAC services were evaluated between January 2018 and January 2019. Time to appointment, diagnostic methods, change in medical therapy, unplanned ED visits, hospitalizations and surgical admissions were calculated and compared.

RESULTS: 488 patients (Crohn's disease: 68.4%/ulcerative colitis: 31.6%) contacted the RAC with a valid medical reason. Median time to visit with an IBD specialist following the index contact was 2 d. Patients had objective clinical and laboratory assessment (C-reactive protein and fecal calprotectin in 91% and 73%). Fast-track colonoscopy/sigmoidoscopy was performed in 24.6% of the patients, while computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging in only 8.1%. Medical therapy was changed in 54.4%. ED visits within 30 d following the RAC visit occurred in 8.8% (unplanned ED visit rate: 5.9%). Diagnostic procedures and resource utilization at the ED (n = 135 patients) were substantially different compared to RAC users: Abdominal computed tomography was more frequent (65.7%, P < 0.001), coupled with multiple specialist consults, more frequent hospital admission (P < 0.001), higher steroid initiation (P < 0.001). Average medical cost estimates of diagnostic procedures and services per patient was $403 CAD vs $1885 CAD comparing all RAC and ED visits.

CONCLUSION: Implementation of a RAC improved patient care by facilitating easier access to IBD specific medical care, optimized resource utilization and helped avoiding ED visits and subsequent hospitalizations.

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2020

Erschienen:

2020

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:26

Enthalten in:

World journal of gastroenterology - 26(2020), 7 vom: 21. Feb., Seite 759-769

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Nene, Sofia [VerfasserIn]
Gonczi, Lorant [VerfasserIn]
Kurti, Zsuzsanna [VerfasserIn]
Morin, Isabelle [VerfasserIn]
Chavez, Kelly [VerfasserIn]
Verdon, Christine [VerfasserIn]
Reinglas, Jason [VerfasserIn]
Kohen, Rita [VerfasserIn]
Bessissow, Talat [VerfasserIn]
Afif, Waqqas [VerfasserIn]
Wild, Gary [VerfasserIn]
Seidman, Ernest [VerfasserIn]
Bitton, Alain [VerfasserIn]
Lakatos, Peter Laszlo [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext

Themen:

Crohn’s disease
Emergency department
Journal Article
Observational Study
Quality-of-care
Rapid access
Ulcerative colitis

Anmerkungen:

Date Completed 07.12.2020

Date Revised 14.12.2020

published: Print

Citation Status MEDLINE

doi:

10.3748/wjg.v26.i7.759

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

NLM307085554