Along with growing demand, rising costs and lower payments have threatened the financial viability of many hospitals, resulting in ED and hospital closures and a mismatch of supply and demand for acute care services. Considering these recent trends, efforts to…
If you find yourself in the emergency department and the doctor says he wants to keep you at the hospital for “observation,” take heed. Depending on the hospital, observation can mean very different things for both your medical care and…
There’s a growing recognition by clinicians that some patients who arrive at the emergency department can benefit if they’re kept under observation for up to a day so that staff can run more tests and monitor their progress to see…
A growing number of hospitals are opting to move some people from the emergency room into observation units where they can undergo further monitoring or testing before doctors decide whether they should be released or admitted. More than a third…
Instead of admitting certain patients to the hospital, using dedicated observation units in hospitals can often be more efficient, result in shorter lengths-of-stay and lower costs, according to a recent study from Health Affairs. “The wider use of observation units…
A mathematical model suggests that having an observation unit in every appropriate U.S. hospital could save $3.1 billion per year. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is reimbursing hospitals for “observation status” in lieu of hospital admission for patient…
Using observation units in hospitals to provide care to certain patients can be more efficient than admitting them to the hospital and can result in shorter lengths-of-stay and lower costs. However, such units are present in only about one-third of…
Researchers estimate that maximizing the potential of an observation unit in a hospital could result in $4.6 million in savings annually for the hospital and $3.1 billion in overall savings for the health care system in the United States. Source:…
Maximizing the potential use of dedicated hospital observation units could save billions of dollars in healthcare resources annually. Observation units (OUs) in hospitals provide an alternative to admitting patients who have received care in emergency departments but cannot yet be…
Wider use of hospital observation units could save the U.S. health care system billions of dollars a year, a new study indicates. An observation unit is a space near or within the emergency department that provides an alternative to inpatient…