Question

2. As chief operating officer of a large inner-city hospital, you note that the hospital has seen a rise in utilization of Emergency Department visits by patients who are not “emergently” ill, and who want minor illnesses cared for. Most of these patients have Medicaid and have received the same health care coverage under the provisions of the Affordable Care Act. Understanding the legal responsibilities under EMTALA, what might be the most appropriate way of dealing with the overutilization of Emergency Department services? (Cite references as needed.)(250 Words)

Answer 1

The overutilization of the United States emergency treatments is a serious concern and it costs for $38 billion to the U.S fund. This is basically due to improper access to the primary care services and lack of alternatives. The EMTALA obligations enforce the healthcare staff to perform a medical screening test on any patient that visits the ED. This is further followed by proper examination and treatment of the condition which is not delayed by methods of payment or any insurance coverage. Under the legal implications of the EMTALA the most appropriate and considerate way of dealing with the unnecessary and overuse of the emergency room visits would be by educating the patients. This can be done by creating a campaign, developing handouts, providing proper follow-ups and guidance to the patients, educating the patients about the use of personal health triage applications, and providing the options of telehealth to the patients. It has been noted that use of telehealth can reduce the incidence of patient visits to the healthcare setting. This can help the patents to keep a check on their own health and improvement. Moreover, following the concept of personal health records can help the patients monitor their health and wellbeing from a distance. This would not make them rush to the emergency department for simple causes. Infect, it will aware them about their own health which can significantly reduce the patients visits in the ED without any legal violation to the EMTALA