Nonurgent Use of Hospital Emergency Departments - Research Paper Example

book is relevant to the current study because of its discussion of the nature and effects of nonurgent use of EDs. It also includes a comprehensive discussion of the potential solutions to the problems caused by this pattern. It suggests the construction of additional safety net hospitals, community clinics, and other sources of care as a solution to the problem caused by the nonurgent use of EDs. This book is an excellent source of strategies and policies for EDs. 

(2) Hodge, M. (2007). Non-urgent Emergency Department Utilization in Southwestern Virginia among Medicaid Recipients. Ann Arbor, MI: Proquest.

Generally, this book is about the current American healthcare system, focusing specifically on the evolution of the EDs’ functions. The author studied the prevalence of nonurgent use of EDs among beneficiaries of Medicaid in Southwestern Virginia. The author used both qualitative and quantitative methods to study the perceptions of both the patients and the hospital staff regarding the utilization of EDs for nonurgent problems. The author reported that there is a high prevalence of nonurgent use of EDs in Southwestern Virginia and that there is considerable disparity between the perception of patients and hospital staff regarding what is ‘urgent’ and what is ‘nonurgent’. The author then suggested some possible solutions to this problem. This book is relevant to the current study due to its report about the increasing number of Medicaid recipients who prefer to use EDs for nonurgent problems. The reasons are varied but the author is able to consolidate all these disparate information into one comprehensive whole.       

(3) Institute of Medicine (U.S.) Committee on the Future of Emergency Care in the United States Health System (2007). Hospital-Based Emergency Care: At the Breaking Point. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.

The author focuses on the evolution of the function of a hospital-based emergency. It attempts to show, through figures and statistics, the number of ED visits for urgent and non-urgent problems. Through secondary data analysis, the author is able to determine that in recent times visits the EDs for minor injuries rather than serious health problems dramatically increased. The author argued that although EDs keep on performing their usual tasks of giving urgent medical attention, they are forced to provide additional care for patients with non-urgent health problems. The author clearly illustrates that the responsibilities of EDs are continuously expanding. This book is relevant to the current study because it includes a discussion of the problems caused by the increasing prevalence of nonurgent use of EDs such as overcrowding, limited resources, and limited capacity. The author is able to clearly show that if these problems continue the quality of American healthcare will continue to decline.

4) Jones, R. (2004). Oxford Textbook of Primary Medical Care, Volume 1. New York: Oxford University Press.

This book is mainly for general practitioners and primary health providers. The purpose of the author is to provide a conclusive discussion of primary care practice. It involves a discussion of the nonurgent use of EDs and the absence of a single definition of the term ‘nonurgent’. The approach used by the author is mainly descriptive or exploratory. The author concludes that a significant decrease or total eradication of nonurgent use of EDs is the most cited technique for cutting down health costs. This book is relevant to the current study because of its comprehensive discussion of the major determinants of nonurgent use of EDs. The author conducted a literature review in order to substantiate his claims about the most common explanations for this problem. The author did not merely discuss the different determinants but also laid down some useful solutions to the problem such as encouraging primary care providers to willingly attend to more patients with nonurgent problems, whether insured or uninsured.    

(5) Stewart, S. (2009). Non-urgent Use of the Emergency Department: Exploring Reasons for Seeking Care. Kentucky: Northern Kentucky University.

            The author tries to identify the reasons for the increase in the use of EDs, particularly in urban areas. The author employed a descriptive, quantitative methodology to identify the motivations to seek care. The conveniently sampled respondents were provided with self-administered questionnaires containing questions about their health care preferences and the reasons they prefer the EDs rather than other sources of care. The study found out that patients prefer the ED for nonurgent problems because of the accessibility and expediency of this source of care, an expectation to receive quality and complete care, and a felt sense of urgency. This book is relevant to the current study because of its diverse and wide-ranging discussion of the determinants of nonurgent use of EDs. Moreover, it did not rely only on secondary sources but also used primary data. The author also included a discussion of one of the most important factors determining nonurgent use of EDs, that is, the availability of a primary care provider.