Studies have shown that:
- More than 30% of emergency department (ED) visits are avoidable
- More than 70% of ED visits are by patients who are receiving their first treatment for a condition at the ED
We encourage you to help educate your patients about the care options that can be used when your office is closed or as an alternative to an ED visit for non-acute or life-threatening conditions.
DispatchHealth delivers urgent medical care to your moderate- to high-risk patients in the comfort of their homes. Working as an extension of your medical team, DispatchHealth can treat 95% of the most common ED diagnoses.
DispatchHealth also:
- Sees 48% of patients outside of standard office hours.
- Has earned 98% patient satisfaction scores.
Has enabled $1,625 net medical cost savings per acute care visit.
To learn more about what to expect during a DispatchHealth visit, watch this video.
DispatchHealth screens all members over the phone before their appointment. If it’s determined during the phone screening that more advanced emergency care is required, DispatchHealth will direct the patient to get care in an ED.
DispatchHealth Bridge Care is a proactive, high-acuity medical intervention in a patient’s home within 72 hours post-discharge from the hospital or skilled nursing facility (SNF).
Designed for moderate- to high-risk patients with a medical condition that warrants reevaluation after discharge, this service helps ensure a smooth transition from facility to home to optimize recovery; avoid readmission; and safely “bridge” patients back to their primary care provider or specialist.
Learn more about Bridge Care and the conditions DispatchHealth treats.
Remind patients to consider urgent care clinics for illnesses and injuries beyond the scope of virtual care, such as migraine; abdominal pain; sprains, strains and cuts; and severe cold and flu symptoms. Many urgent care clinics are conveniently located and more accessible than EDs, allowing members to save time and money.
Remind patients to go to the ED if they are experiencing acute or life-threatening symptoms, such as chest pain, shortness of breath, signs of a possible stroke, uncontrollable bleeding, severe burns, head injuries (especially loss of consciousness) or seizures.
Our care managers proactively reach out to members who have had several ED visits.
Share the Healthwise Your Health: Using the Emergency Room Wisely flyer (PDF) English and Spanish with your patients.
Remind your patients to sign in to the member website and select Find Care to view their in-person, virtual, urgent and at-home care options. Our Customer Service team is also able to help members identify their care options. Customer Service numbers are listed on the back of member ID cards.