Orange County NC Website
29 <br /> POTENTIAL BENEFITS: HOSPITAL-BASED CARE <br /> Reduces Use of Hospital Emergency Services. <br /> Studies have shown that absent a dedicated crisis facility, BH patients in crisis are treated in a hospital-based ED at greater rates <br /> than in communities with a dedicated crisis facility. <br /> The ED is required to board patients waiting for admittance to inpatient beds or other residential services. This overloads ED and is a <br /> poor setting for patients waiting for care. Boarding times in ED vary from a few hours to a few days and for some cases much longer. <br /> Having a dedicated crisis facility reduces burden on hospital-based ED, which is frequently at capacity. This allows ED to focus on <br /> patients who require hospital-based psychiatric emergency services and to maintain capacity for medical emergency escalations. <br /> Inpatient Bed Utilization. <br /> Nationally, data show that once a patient is admitted to hospital-based ED, there tends to be a higher rate of inpatient bed utilization <br /> as compared to having access to a dedicated crisis facility. <br /> A significant number of IVC patients can be treated in a dedicated crisis facility instead of requiring use of ED. If eventual transfer to <br /> inpatient or residential care is required, the Crisis-Diversion Facility will provide quality care in an appropriate setting at lower costs <br /> while awaiting transfer. <br /> Clinical Care Costs Savings. <br /> SAMHSA 2020, discusses a model developed by Crisis Now for comparison of clinical care costs in communities without a <br /> comprehensive crisis system (reliance on ED and inpatient beds) vs. communities with comprehensive crisis system (including a <br /> dedicated crisis facility). <br /> The Crisis Now analysis indicates that costs associated with hospital-based care can be reduced on the order of 50%. <br /> 27 <br />