Interview with AOK's Medical Emergency Service: Inquiries Regarding Their Operations
The patient navigator service, available through the website www.116117.de and the 116117 call, is a valuable resource for non-emergency health concerns. This service offers upstream initial assessments, providing a competent first evaluation to help reduce the number of people going directly to the emergency room.
This service is not for life-threatening emergencies, for which the emergency service (112) should be called immediately. Instead, it is designed to manage care in emergencies by providing initial assessments, guiding patients into the right form of care, and relieving emergency services and emergency rooms.
Upstream initial assessments are available 24/7, offering convenience and peace of mind. One can enter health issues anonymously on the patient navigator website, and an initial assessment can be obtained online through the patient navigator on www.116117.de. The service is also accessible via the 116117 call.
In larger hospitals, Integrated Emergency Centers may provide upstream initial assessments in the future. These assessments are comprehensive, including clinical, social, and behavioural factors, to foster improved coordination, prevention, and long-term management in emergency care pathways.
The proposed Ambulatory Specialty Model (ASM) by CMS aims to improve upstream management of chronic diseases in outpatient settings, leading to fewer emergency visits and hospital admissions. Early engagement with patients during healthcare encounters, such as through Hospital-based Violence Intervention Programs (HVIPs), can address root social and community factors contributing to emergencies, extending support beyond immediate treatment and potentially reducing repeat incidents.
Incorporating social determinants of health (SDoH) data into initial assessments supports individualized discharge planning and post-discharge follow-up, improving patient experience, decreasing readmissions, and improving outcomes in hospital care. Collectively, these approaches enable emergency care systems to shift from reactive treatment towards proactive health management, improving patient outcomes and lowering costs by preventing crises before they require emergency interventions.
In summary, upstream initial assessments play a crucial role in future emergency care management. By providing competent first evaluations, they can improve prevention, better manage chronic diseases, address social determinants of health early, and reduce avoidable hospitalizations, unnecessary procedures, and readmissions. Seeking an initial assessment through the patient navigator service is recommended when one is unsure about acute health issues, as it can help people get help quickly and relieve emergency services and emergency rooms.
- With the patient navigator service, individuals can access online therapies and treatments in the realm of health-and-wellness, fitness-and-exercise, and mental-health, thus fostering holistic care and prolonging the prevention of health crises.
- In the evolution of emergency care, the incorporation of nutrition and lifestyle factors into upstream initial assessments could lead to more effective coordination, prevention, and long-term management, ultimately reducing avoidable hospitalizations and readmissions.
- In striving for proactive health management, the Ambulatory Specialty Model (ASM) by CMS proposes a shift in focus towards handling chronic diseases, employing upstream management strategies that prioritize nutrition and social determinants of health to improve outcomes and lower costs in the long run.
