Access to primary health care is a problem for many patients in the U.S., leading many to seek care through the emergency department (ED). While the majority of ED visits are appropriate, many may be 鈥減revented鈥� by timely and potentially less costly ambulatory care. Several systems of estimating potentially avoidable ED visits have therefore been developed, including the NYU/Billings ED algorithm. Many health care organizations use these tools in actuarial risk stratification and individually oriented interventions to improve patient outcomes and lower costs.
