<p>Eldercare facility residents given same-day access to a physician have lower hospitalization rates and emergency department visits than those who face longer wait times.<br></p>



<p>That&rsquo;s according to investigators who surveyed long-term care facilities about physician visits during a three-month period. About 32% of the facilities, located in Ontario, Canada, reported same-day physician access. These facilities had 21% lower hospitalization rates and 14% lower ED visit rates, reported Daniel M. Kobewka, M.D., MSc.<br></p>



<p>Nurse practitioner availability was also independently linked to fewer transfers. Yet 60% of facilities without same-day physician access also had no same-day access to nurse practitioners, wrote Kobewka, from the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Canada.<br></p>



<p>The researchers suggest that many transfers could be prevented if all facilities had urgent access to clinical care.<br></p>



<p><a href="https://www.jamda.com/article/S1525-8610(19)30490-6/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">The study</a> was published in the April issue of <em>JAMDA</em>. </p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.mcknights.com/news/clinical-news/same-day-physician-access-leads-to-fewer-resident-hospitalizations-ed-visits/">Same-day physician access leads to fewer resident hospitalizations, ED visits</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.mcknights.com/">McKnight's Long Term Care News</a>.</p>