The effect of a community comprehensive health center's urgent care program on hospital emergency department use

A non-experimental, exploratory, and descriptive approach was used to determine if the Urgent Care Program at Hubert H. Humphrey Comprehensive Health center (HHHCHC), was a significant factor in helping to reduce the inappropriate utilization by patients of the emergency department (ED) at King Drew Medical Center (KDMC). Inappropriate use is defined as use of an ED for the purpose of a clinic, primary source of care, and for nonurgent minor medical conditions. A study sample was selected using a random table of numbers to review 600 medical records. These records represented patients who used the emergency department over a 6 month time period. Medical records that were selected, included only those between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 12:00 a.m. which are the operating hours of the Urgent Care Program. Information collected to get a profile of the typical emergency department user revealed that before the opening of the HHHCHC's Urgent Care Program, patients utilized the KDMC emergency department appropriately 43.9% of the time. After the opening of the Urgent Care Program, appropriate utilization was increased to 56.1 %. These findings suggest that the Urgent Care Program was indeed a significant factor in reducing the inappropriate utilization of the emergency department. The typical emergency department user is a member of an ethnic minority group and between the ages of 18-34. Based on these findings recommendations were made to improve the utility of the HHHCHC's Urgent Care Program.