Isolating Hot Spots
Emergency departments play an essential role in the provision of primary care in the United States. Traditionally, many people have pursued primary care from the emergency department. Dr. Jeffrey Brenner and other sources report that nearly half of the population in hot spots visits the emergency department (Gawande, 2011; Coster, Turner, Bradbury, & Cantrell, 2017). As a result, the department is responsible for the high cost of health care in the country. Regardless of the significance of the ED, some costs can be reduced by focusing on the hot spots of medicine to provide preventive interventions.
As the senior health care nursing leader for your organization, I would recommend the community assessment and intervention proposed by Dr. Jeffrey Brenner. The constant visits to the ED and related charges are part of the cost that can be reduced using the model effectively (Gawande, 2011). Some of the reasons people use the ED include the need for urgent care (injuries and accidents, chronic conditions, and behavioral changes, such as increased smoking and substance abuse) (Coster, Turner, Bradbury, & Cantrell, 2017). Many of the factors behind the increasing use of ED services can be prevented using the hot spot of medicine model. The model works by recognizing and addressing risk factors to disease or injury that lead to emergency department visits. For example, by identifying and helping smokers to quit the habit, the system will reduce the cost of primary care resulting from diseases associated with smoking (Gawande, 2011). Therefore, the model will lessen disease burden and reduce cost to improve access and quality.
Research reveals an increase in ED visits, especially in some at-risk communities. The cost related to the trend is alarming. Therefore, health care facilities should focus on the hot spots of medicine to intervene in time and reduce the cost of healthcare related to ED visits.
