Dizziness Standardization Pathway case study
Value-Based Care Case Studies
Abstract
The Dizziness Standardization Pathway is a multidisciplinary clinical care model designed to improve the assessment and management of dizzy patients in the emergency department (ED). Developed collaboratively by neurologists and emergency physicians at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, the pathway provides standardized guidance on when to perform imaging and when to involve neurology, either emergently or via outpatient referral. This model promotes patient safety, reduces unnecessary imaging and consultations, and enhances care efficiency by identifying high-risk patients and ensuring timely, appropriate intervention. Implemented for over eight years, the pathway supports improved clinical outcomes, cost savings, and resource optimization. While adoption required significant time for consensus-building and provider education, the model is now associated with high provider satisfaction and exemplifies the benefits of multidisciplinary collaboration in care standardization.
Introduction
This clinical care model establishes a standardized pathway for assessing and evaluating dizzy patients in the emergency department (ED), developed collaboratively by neurologists and emergency physicians. It guides ED physicians on appropriate imaging and when to consult a neurologist.
The AAN’s Care Delivery Subcommittee, under the guidance of the Medical Economics and Practice Committee, continues to seek out and to better understand different and complex care delivery models, their core functions, and features, as well as the professional and personal advantages and disadvantages of these models for neurologists and neurology care teams. The subcommittee’s own Mary Angela O’Neal, MD, FAAN, from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, shared her insights into a multidisciplinary care model, Dizziness Standardization Pathway. Responses below represent the individual experiences of the contributors and are not the official opinion of the AAN.
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