Half of ED patients could have seen a GP: study
Nearly 40% failed to contact a GP before heading to hospital, Queensland researchers say
Almost half of the patients who visited a Queensland ED had health problems that could have been handled by a GP, a study reveals.
The team analysed data on patients attending the Mount Isa ED in 2016, and surveyed more than 360 people who attended the ED in that year. They also analysed patient records for 400 randomly selected presentations.
They team consulted with local GPs to help identify which cases would have been appropriate for their care, considering factors such as whether the patient was self-referred and whether it was a new episode of care.
Using the local criteria for identifying GP-type cases, 70% of category four and five ED attendances were classified as appropriate for a GP.
