Factors contributing to the non-urgent use of the emergency department by Canadian triage and acuity scale IV and V patient in Sudbury, Ontario
Year: 2014
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: In Canada, it is estimated that 57% of all emergency department (ED) visits are \nfor less-urgent or non-urgent care needs (Hodgins & Wuest, 2007). Factors that \ncontribute to the non-urgent use of ED services include lack of resources, insufficient \naccess to care, and lack of awareness regarding available health care options (Fieldston, \nAlpern, Nadel, Shea & Alessandrini, 2012). The goal of this quantitative descriptive \ndesign study was to determine the relationship between having access to a primary health \ncare provider, utilizing community based health care supports, and the patient’s \nperception of illness, with the adult patient’s decisions for presenting to the ED with nonurgent \ncare needs. \nOf the 119 respondents, 71.3% had access to a primary health care provider. A \nmajority of the respondents (70.1%) perceived the threat of their illness as moderate. \nThose without registration with a primary care provider had a significantly higher \nperceived threat of illness than those with a primary care provider. Results indicate that \n72.6% of respondents presented to the ED because of a perceived urgency of need for \ncare, and 48.7% of participants came to the ED because they thought they required ED \nservices. Identifying why people present to the ED with non-urgent care needs can assist \nhealth care providers and decision makers to enhance their understanding of the patient’s \nexpectations of health care services and their perception of illness.
Author: Christine Askin
Language: English
Subfield: Emergency Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2338890331