Cohort study of a stabilization centre reduces emergency department visits for patients with alcohol and opioid intoxication, suggesting a viable diversion model.
OBJECTIVES Emergency departments (EDs) face growing strain from increased health-seeking behaviour. To preserve finite ED resources, a non-medical stabilization centre (SC) was implemented in Toronto, Canada as an alternative destination to receive paramedic-transported patients with suspected acute alcohol or opioid intoxication who would otherwise have been taken to an ED. These patients typically require observation and recovery rather than emergency medical intervention. We described the patient cohort, clinical guideline, division model approach, and its safety.
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Strum et al. (2025) studied this question.
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