A Randomized Controlled Trial of an Emergency Department Discharge Intervention as an Alternative to Hospitalization

Hospital admissions from the emergency department (ED) comprise 20% of all US health expenses. Efforts to improve the value of emergency care will seek to reduce ED hospitalizations without worsening patient outcomes. The PATH (Practical Alternative to Hospitalization) program discharges ED patients who might otherwise be hospitalized, through short-term enhanced services including home nursing, telehealth monitoring, outpatient care coordination, and assistance with social needs. In this study, we compare the effectiveness of the PATH intervention with usual care.