Indicated trauma emergency department utilization – A comparison between patients’ self-assessment and professional evaluation
Burchard R, Oikonomoulas V, Soost C, Zoremba M, Graw JA (2019)
Publication Type: Journal article
Publication year: 2019
Journal
Book Volume: 44
Pages Range: 30-34
DOI: 10.1016/j.ienj.2019.02.006
Abstract
Introduction: Patient visits to emergency departments (EDs) increase in many countries. As a result, these facilities are often congested and the socioeconomic burden of growing workload is a well-known problem. In this study, patients’ reasons attending an ED with non-emergent needs were analyzed. Methods: From October 2015 to March 2016 patients (n = 499), attending the ED of an academic teaching hospital without referral from a General Practitioner (GP) were surveyed regarding circumstances of their visit, a self-assessment of illness-severity, and reasons for choosing the ED instead of a GP. Results were compared to responses of ED staff (n = 40). Results: Most patients assessed their case as urgent (patients: 65% vs. ED staff: 28%, p < 0.001) and felt that their medical problem could not to be treated by a GP (74%). However, most patients ranked their injuries as mild (45.7%) or moderate (41.7%). Reasons to prefer an ED instead of a GP were not responded in 80.1% of cases. Conclusion: In contrast to the self-evaluation of patients, ED staff believed that a significant portion of medical problems could be treated by a GP. Understanding patient-centred reasons and the discrepancy between self-perceived emergencies and minor medical problems might help to reduce inappropriate ED-admissions.
Involved external institutions
Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Germany (DE)
Universität Witten/Herdecke
Germany (DE)
Universität Siegen
Germany (DE)
Germany (DE)
Universität Witten/Herdecke
Germany (DE)
Universität Siegen
Germany (DE)
How to cite
APA:
Burchard, R., Oikonomoulas, V., Soost, C., Zoremba, M., & Graw, J.A. (2019). Indicated trauma emergency department utilization – A comparison between patients’ self-assessment and professional evaluation. International Emergency Nursing, 44, 30-34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ienj.2019.02.006
MLA:
Burchard, Rene, et al. "Indicated trauma emergency department utilization – A comparison between patients’ self-assessment and professional evaluation." International Emergency Nursing 44 (2019): 30-34.
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