MedPath

Point-of-Care Follow-Up With Primary Care After Emergency Department Discharge

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Conditions Influencing Health Status
Interventions
Behavioral: ZocDoc Information
Behavioral: ZocDoc Assistance
Registration Number
NCT02740348
Lead Sponsor
George Washington University
Brief Summary

The purpose of this trial is to determine whether setting up a follow-up appointment for patients who received treatment and were discharged from the emergency department increases their compliance with the follow-up appointment. We are enrolling patients who need a follow-up visit, have health insurance but report do not have a primary care doctor. Patients are randomized to one of three treatment groups: (1) assistance setting up a follow-up appointment by a research assistant using ZocDoc; (2) ZocDoc information given to the subject to set up follow-up appointment by him/herself; or (3) usual discharge instructions by ED staff. Subjects are phoned approximately 2 weeks after the ED visit and asked whether they completed a follow-up visit, satisfaction with their ED visit, satisfaction with their follow-up visit, and additional ED treatment and recovery.

Detailed Description

This is a randomized controlled trial involving adult emergency department (ED) patients who need a follow-up visit as defined by the ED provider (importance of follow-up rated as 5 or greater on a 0 to 10 scale). There is software available called ZocDoc that provides a user the ability to identify primary care providers who have open appointments and will take the person's health insurance (in network and outside of network) and list the doctors based on their proximity to the person in need. We are testing whether booking appointments for ED patients using ZocDoc vs. giving patients the information to use ZocDoc themselves vs. standard discharge instructions given by ED staff (i.e. you should follow-up with a primary care doctor) affects compliance with self-reported follow-up visits. We are enrolling patients while they are in the ED, completed a short baseline interview and then another interview with them over the telephone approximately two weeks after the index ED visit. The follow-up interview asks subjects whether they have completed a follow-up visit, satisfaction with the ED visit and the primary care visit, any other additional ED treatment and extent of recovery from the problem that brought them to the ED the first time.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
220
Inclusion Criteria

Patients with health insurance but report not having a primary care provider and are rated by the ED provider as needing a follow-up visit with a primary care provider (rated as moderate to high need by ED provider).

Exclusion Criteria

Patients doesn't want a primary care provider or patient doesn't want a follow-up visit. Patient is unable to understand consent, is a prisoner, or does not have access to email (because ZocDoc sends appointment information to email).

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
ZocDoc InformationZocDoc InformationResearch assistance provides subject with written information about ZocDoc.
ZocDoc AssistanceZocDoc AssistanceResearch assistant sets up follow-up appointment for subject using ZocDoc.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Self-reported follow-up visit2-4 weeks after the index ED visit

patient-reported follow-up visit with a primary care doctor

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Recovery from health problem2-4 weeks after the index ED visit

patient-reported resolution of problem that they reported during index ED visit

Additional ED visit(s)2-4 weeks after the index ED visit

Did patient receive additional ED treatment for same problem as index ED visit

Satisfaction with the primary care visit2-4 weeks after the index ED visit

patient-reported satisfaction rating

Satisfaction with the ED visitMeasured 2 weeks after the index ED visit

patient-reported satisfaction rating

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

George Washington University Hospital

🇺🇸

Washington, D.C., District of Columbia, United States

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