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Effects of Telehealth Use for Rapid Screening, Treatment, and Discharge of Patients with Low-Acuity Conditions in the Emergency Department

Award Number: R03HS028509
ORGANIZATION: AGENCY FOR HEALTH CARE RESEARCH AND QUALITY
OPDIV: AHRQ
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/30/2022
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 08/31/2024

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Effects of Telehealth Use for Rapid Screening, Treatment, and Discharge of Patients with Low-Acuity Conditions in the Emergency Department - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT This proposal presents a research project focused on the study of a novel emergency telehealth strategy which performs rapid screening, treatment, and discharge of patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with a low-acuity condition. This care delivery strategy facilitates timely discharges for eligible patients from an ED triage room in a way that reserves ED capacity for patients with higher acuity or more complex presentations that require an in-person evaluation. Clarifying guidance from the federal government pertaining to the use of telehealth to conduct medical screening exams under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) made the implementation of the ETD workflow possible as of March 2020. Given the novelty of this EMTALA exception, the use of telehealth to complete the assessment and discharge of a patient from the ED without an in-person examination has not yet been evaluated. A better understanding of the efficacy and safety of this care delivery strategy is needed to guide longer-term federal policies that support Evaluate, Treat, Discharge (ETD) telehealth care for appropriate emergency department encounters. The proposed project will assess the effects of this telehealth strategy on ED throughput, ED crowding, and patient outcomes after discharge. This care delivery strategy not only has potential to improve emergency preparedness, but also it can address long-standing pre-pandemic challenges with ED crowding. Additionally, project findings will generate implications for ED operations and inform practice leaders on the efficacy and safety of adopting this new approach to emergency telehealth. The study addresses priorities highlighted in PA-18-794 by focusing on an innovative telehealth strategy that harnesses technology with the goal of improving emergency care quality and patient outcomes. It also directly addresses AHRQ priority populations, with a focused analysis of outcomes disparities among racial/ethnic minorities and low-income individuals and the inclusion of sites located in inner city and rural settings. The project will be executed by a multidisciplinary team with expertise in emergency health services research, telehealth, and health econometric modeling. Since the data for this study is readily accessible to the study team, with prior experience working with the data sources and performing the analytic procedures outlined in the proposal, the team is well-positioned to execute the study with timely dissemination of project findings.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = -$13,708 )
2025	2022	MEDSTAR HEALTH RESEARCH INSTITUTE INC	6525 BELCREST RD STE 700	HYATTSVILLE	MD	20782	PRINCE GEORGES	USA	Research on Healthcare Costs, Quality and Outcomes	000	1	12/31/2024	NEW	-$13,708
														Subtotal = -$13,708

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $100,000 )
2022	2022	MEDSTAR HEALTH RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC.	6525 BELCREST RD STE 700	HYATTSVILLE	MD	20782	PRINCE GEORGES	USA	Research on Healthcare Costs, Quality and Outcomes	000	1	9/14/2022	NEW	$100,000
														Subtotal = $100,000

Grand Total All Awards = $86,292

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Effects of Telehealth Use for Rapid Screening, Treatment, and Discharge of Patients with Low-Acuity Conditions in the Emergency Department

Award Number: R03HS028509

ORGANIZATION: AGENCY FOR HEALTH CARE RESEARCH AND QUALITY

OPDIV: AHRQ

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/30/2022

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 08/31/2024

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