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Yoon J, Cordasco KM, Chow A, Rubenstein LV. The Relationship between Same-Day Access and Continuity in Primary Care and Emergency Department Visits. PLoS ONE. 2015 Sep 2; 10(9):e0135274.
We examined how emergency department (ED) visits for potentially preventable, mental health, and other diagnoses were related to same-day access and provider continuity in primary care using administrative data from 71,296 patients in 22 VHA clinics over a three-year period. ED visits were categorized as non-emergent; primary care treatable; preventable; not preventable; or mental health-related. We conducted multi-level regression models adjusted for patient and clinic factors. More same-day access significantly predicted fewer non-emergent and primary care treatable ED visits while continuity was not significantly related to any type of ED visit. Neither measure was related to ED visits for mental health problems.