Outpatient rapid diagnosis medical units are an effective and economic alternative to inpatient hospitalization for diagnostic purposes, according to an article in the Journal of Hospital Medicine.
Researchers performed a meta-analysis of studies on the effectiveness and cost-savings of rapid diagnostic units, outpatient clinics staffed with internists, nurses and staff and offering "expedited scheduling of outpatient diagnostic tests."
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Use of rapid diagnosis units over inpatient stays for diagnosis saved between 4.5 and 7 inpatient bed-days and between $2,300 and $3,300 per patient. In addition, 88 percent of patients preferred the rapid diagnosis model, with patient satisfaction rates between 95 and 97 percent.
Researchers concluded rapid diagnostic units have many advantages in line with value-based care; however, a lack of safety data means more work is necessary to determine whether the units are feasible alternatives to inpatient diagnosis.
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