Make the Right Call Campaign

If you’ve ever had trouble deciding where to go when you or someone you care about needs medical attention, you’re not alone. It’s common to wonder if you should go to the emergency department (ED) or your primary care physician (PCP). Cincinnati Aligning Forces for Quality, led by the Health Collaborative, is helping patients answer this question with the “Make the Right Call” campaign.

The campaign is supporting the Greater Cincinnati community by helping to reduce avoidable ED admissions. Many people who use emergency departments for non-emergencies do so because they are unaware of the types of ailments that can be treated conveniently and affordably by a primary care physician. The Health Collaborative, in partnership with The Council on Aging of Southwestern Ohio, The Universal Health Care Action Network of Ohio, and The United Food & Commercial Workers Union Local 75, is educating patients and helping them make informed decisions. The initiative focuses on prevention and the importance of having a PCP. If patients don’t have a PCP, the campaign directs them to YourHealthMatters.org, where they can start by viewing and comparing quality of care ratings for local doctors.

Misuse of ED resources drives up overall health care costs and prevents EDs from tending to true medical emergencies quickly. “Make the Right Call” along with area hospitals, health care providers, community organizations, and employers, is working together to reduce emergency department visits by 10 percent by April of 2015. For more information, visit YourHealthMatters.org.