Capsule Commentary on Bodenmann et al., Case Management May Reduce Emergency Department Frequent Use in a Universal Health Coverage System: a Randomized Controlled Trial

Excerpt

This study by Bodenmann et al.1 examined the impact of a case management (CM) intervention on frequent Emergency Department (ED) users (≥5 ED visits in 12 months). The randomized controlled trial took place at a single site in Switzerland, which has universal health coverage. Patients were randomized to individualized case management versus standard care and followed for 12 months. By the end of the study period, there were 2.71 ED visits in the intervention group compared to 3.35 visits in the control group, a 19 % reduction in the group receiving CM. The effect of the intervention did not achieve statistical significance (ratio = 0.81, 95 % CI = 0.63 to 1.02). The authors conclude that individualized CM may reduce ED utilization in the population studied. …