Malnutrition Resources Toolkit
This toolkit was developed by West Health and the University of North Carolina to support ED staff in screening senior patients for food insecurity.
Letter to Congressional Leadership Calling for Hospital Contracting Reform
In addition to the primary goal of protecting patients from surprise medical bills, we are writing to ensure that any surprise billing legislation that is included in the end-of-year package contain hospital contracting reform as proposed in the Lower Health Care Costs Act.
Reducing Emergency Department Transfers from Skilled Nursing Facilities through an Emergency Physician Telemedicine Service
Transfers of skilled nursing facility (SNF) residents to emergency departments (ED) are linked to morbidity, mortality and significant cost, especially when transfers result in hospital admissions. This study investigated an alternative approach for emergency care delivery comprised of SNF-based telemedicine services provided by emergency physicians (EP). We compared this on-site emergency care option to traditional ED-based care, evaluating hospital admission rates following care by an EP.
Association of dementia diagnosis with urinary tract infection in the emergency department
Overdiagnosis of urinary tract infections (UTI) among people living with dementia is a nationally recognized problem associated with morbidity from antibiotics as well as multidrug-resistant bacteria. However, whether this problem also exists in the emergency department (ED) is currently unknown.
Emergency Medical Technician-Facilitated Telehealth Visits: A New Model to Expand Home-Based Primary Care for Homebound Seniors
August 7, 2020 Authors: Karen A. Abrashkin1, A. Camille McBride1, Jill C. Slaboda 2, Michael Kurliand 2, Amparo Abel-Bey 1, Atika Turkistani 1, Kayla Finuf 1, Renee Pekmazaris 1 Affiliations: 1Northwell Health, New Hyde Park, NY, USA; 2West Health, La Jolla, CA, USA Objective: As the number of older adults living in the United States… Read more »
Older Adult Visits to the Emergency Department for Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions: Opportunities to Improve Access to Care and Reduce High-Cost Utilization
Ambulatory‐care‐sensitive conditions (ACSCs) represent emergency department (ED) visits and hospital admissions that might have been avoided through earlier primary care intervention. We characterize the current frequency and cost of ACSCs among older adults (≥65 years of age) in the ED.
New Strategic Roadmaps Outline Next Phase for Value-Based Payment Reform in U.S. Healthcare
The Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy and West Health collaborated on two strategic roadmaps for advancing value-based payment (VBP) reform in the U.S. healthcare system. These roadmaps—one with a national focus and the other with a state focus—provide recommendations to policymakers and stakeholders on implementing VBP models through improved patient engagement, alignment of payment reforms… Read more »
Launching an Emergency Department Telehealth Program During COVID-19: Real-World Implementations for Older Adults
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), broadly defines telehealth as the use of electronic information and technologies to support and promote long-distance clinical care, patient and professional health-related education, public health and health administration. Forward triage is the sorting of patients based on needs before potential ED transfer. Forward triage establishes who requires ED treatment, prioritizes care delivery, and determines appropriateness of treatment in place, or in other settings.2 This paper highlights different models of how telehealth is being deployed by ED’s around the country based on needs, clinical setting, and resources.
Toolkits for Implementing Best Standards of Care for Older Adults in the Emergency Department
The West Health Institute and the Geriatric Emergency Department Collaborative (GEDC) co-produced these toolkits to provide resources for implementing the best standards of care for older adults in the Emergency Department.
West Health Policy Center Commissioned Analysis
Proposed changes to the Medicare Part D benefit design have significant financial implications for all Part D stakeholders, including the federal government, Part D beneficiaries, and pharmaceutical manufacturers.
