Identifying Potentially Avoidable Emergency Department Visits of Long-Term Care Hospital Residents in Korea: A Multicenter Retrospective Cohort Study

Table 2

Potentially avoidable reasons for ED transfer.

	n	%
Potentially avoidable ED transfers (N=168)
Non-critical diagnosis – assessment in an LTCH would be appropriate	96	57.1
Family member/members who refused further evaluation and treatment in the ED	58	34.5
Already-known advance care directives (including DNR)	6	3.6
Simple procedure	5	3.0
Minor trauma – ED assessment not required	3	1.8
Reasonable ED transfers (N=963)
Signs of being systemically unwell – suitable observations cannot be provided	568	59.0
No response to treatment in an LTCH	103	10.7
Procedure unable to be performed in an LTCH	83	8.6
Abnormal results of laboratory or radiological examinations performed in an LTCH	83	8.6
Suspicion of cerebral event with neurological changes	73	7.6
History of trauma with suspected fracture	37	3.8
Family request for ED transfer	12	1.2
Open wound with suturing required	4	0.4

ED: emergency department, LTCH: long-term care hospital, DNR: do-not-resuscitate.