Are EDs prepared to provide behavioral health?

With so many rural hospitals closing, emergency departments (EDs) have become the go-to place for providing care in rural communities, including behavioral health.

The Penn State College of Medicine recently reviewed 53 rural hospital closures to assess their impact on the local community. It found that emergency department visits increased by more than 10.2% among 93 “bystander hospitals” two years after they closed.

A new report from the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform indicates that more than 200 hospitals are at immediate risk of closing. Closures strain the entire healthcare system.

The new Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation aims to stem the total closure of medical centers in rural communities. But it begs a critical question: Are communities prepared with the right tech to support these changes?

Standing as the primary point of service for an entire community is not as easy as flipping on the open sign. It will require providers to rethink how they approach their community’s needs and their technology to make sure they are properly prepared to handle an expanded role.

Rural communities have unique needs, and EDs may not be suited to deliver the level of care rural residents deserve, particularly if they don’t have the right technology.

How patients in rural areas use an emergency department (ED) could be an early indicator of healthcare trends. These insights are often hiding in plain sight; providers just need to know what they’re looking for and how to interpret the data.

Providers should increase their use of analytics to predict patient outcomes and improve patients’ level of service.

Integrating analytics into enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems allows providers to monitor and capture data. With these insights, organizations can better predict shortfalls and what actions they should take to improve.

It also improves strategic planning because organizations can look at those numbers for a complete picture of what’s happening. This data also enables organizations to manage their financials and view the complete picture of what’s happening and what is needed.

EDs often provide basic emergency needs, lab services and other medical services, but they are not necessarily primed to serve as the singular point of service for an entire community. Given the trajectory of hospital closings, EDs can’t rely on other institutions to suddenly increase their services to help fill the service gaps.

Offerings such as telehealth were a “necessary evil” during the pandemic, but they have positive long-term ramifications for healthcare delivery.

One challenge with telehealth offerings is that not everybody has a computer or a reliable network connection. However, nearly everybody has a smartphone, which has helped patients and providers stay connected.

Technology is the great equalizer for rural providers. It will allow providers to expand their offerings and improve their services while helping patients connect with medical professionals who can improve their lives.

Solving long-standing challenges requires new ways of thinking and using all the tools at our disposal to bring forth equitable outcomes for all communities.