Table 1.

Summary of selected evidence for specific EDOU protocols

Protocol	Study	Number of patients	Mean/median age (if reported)	Outcomes
Chest pain	Holly 2012	552	49 years	EDOU admission rate for intermediate risk chest pain patients was 16% No unanticipated adverse events at 30 days
	Miller 2012	120		Physician selected cardiac testing cost-effective vs. pre-specified testing ($1686 vs. $2005)
	Miller 2011	109	56 years	EDOU-CMR decreased costs over 1 year compared to inpatient care ($3101 vs. $742) Major cardiac events similar between groups (6% vs. 9%)
	Jagminas 2005	1413	Not reported	Compared EDOU to inpatient OU. EDOU had decreased admission rates (7.9% vs. 19.2%) and decreased cost ($889 versus $1039)
	Goodacre 2004		972	Decreased admissions from 54% to 37% Follow-up costs reduced
Syncope	Anderson 2012	323	66 years	In EDOU patients with syncope and normal ECG, 0/235 had structural cardiac abnormality identified
Congestive heart failure	Diercks 2006	538	61 years	27% of ED patients with heart failure meet criteria to be managed in an EDOU
	Storrow 2005	64	58 years	Decreased cost, LOS and no difference in outcomes in EDOU vs. admission.
TIA	Ross 2007	149	68 years	Compared to inpatient, EDOU patients had: Lower median length of stay )25 versus 61 hours) Lower 90-day costs ($890 versus $1547 Greater rates of imaging (97% versus 91% for carotids; 97% vs. 73% for echocardiography)
	Nahab 2011	142	68 years	79% discharged Median length of stay decreased from 47 hours (inpatients) to 26 hours (EDOU patients) Lower median costs (cost difference $1643 versus inpatients)
SSTI	Schrock 2008	179	41 years	38% failed EDOU care and required admission Advanced age was not associated with failure of EDOU care
UTI	Schrock 2009	633	32 years	29% of EDOU patients ultimately admitted
Trauma	Holly 2011	259	35 years	No deaths, intubations, or other advers events One missed injury which did not affect outcome Admission rate from EDOU 10%
	Kendall 2011	1169	31 years	6% of EDOU patients with blunt abdominal trauma admitted EDOU median LOS 9.5 hours Low risk patients less likely to receive Ct scans
	Menditto 2011	240	55 years	Decreased rates fo ED revisit in patients with thoracic trauma from 12% withotu EDOU to 4% with EDOU LOS decreased from mean 94 horus to 65 hours after EDOU in place No change in oper patient cost
	Madsen 2009	364	35 years	No adverse events or significant missed injuries among selected trauma patients placed in an EDOU Average LOS 12.75 hours; 12% admission rate
	Menditto 2012	97	51 years	EDOU decreased ED revisit rates (4% vs. 12% in patients with thoracic trauma Hospitalization rates also decreased from 49% to 24% with an EDOU