J Emerg Med
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Prescription noncompliance: contribution to emergency department visits and cost.
We randomly surveyed 100 patients in the acute care section of a large urban university hospital Emergency Department (ED) on 6 days with regard to the existence of and reasons for prescription noncompliance. Noncompliance was considered a major factor contributing to the ED visit if: (1) no medications had been taken for at least 48 h before the ED visit; (2) the medications, when previously taken, had routinely controlled the condition for which the patient was presenting to the ED; and (3) no other significant cause or illness was believed to have precipitated the ED visit. ED, admissions, and yearly medication costs were calculated for all patients. ⋯ Six noncompliant patients were admitted at an average cost of $4,834.62. The average cost of a year's medication was $520.72. Noncompliance with drug prescriptions is a significant contributor to ED visits and health care costs.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Effect of point of care testing on length of stay in an adult emergency department.
Devices are now available that are practical for point of care testing (PCT) in hospital settings. Previous studies in clinical settings, however, have failed to demonstrate a reduction in patients' length of stay (LOS) associated with the use of PCT. This randomized controlled study compared PCT with central laboratory testing in a hospital Emergency Department to assess the difference in patients' LOS. ⋯ The median stay associated with PCT was significantly shorter. Among patients who were destined to be discharged home, there was also a significantly shorter stay, but not among those who were destined to be admitted. It was concluded that the use of PCT can achieve significant time savings in an Emergency Department.