• Richard Fleet, Julien Poitras, Julie Maltais-Giguère, Julie Villa, and Patrick Archambault.
• Department of Family and Emergency Medicine, Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.
• BMJ Open. 2013 Jan 1; 3 (11): e003876.

ObjectiveTo examine 24/7 access to services and consultants in a sample of Canadian rural emergency departments (EDs).DesignCross-sectional study-mixed methods (structured interview, survey and government data bases) with random sampling of hospitals.SettingCanadian rural EDs (rural small town (RST) definition-Statistics Canada).Participants28% (95/336) of Canadian rural EDs providing 24/7 physician coverage located in hospitals with acute care hospitalisation beds.Main Outcome MeasuresGeneral characteristics of the rural EDs, information about 24/7 access to consultants, equipment and services, and the proportion of rural hospitals more than 300 km from levels 1 and 2 trauma centres.ResultsOf the 336 rural EDs identified, 122 (36%) were randomly selected and contacted. Overall, 95 EDs participated in the study (participation rate, 78%). Hospitals had, on an average, 23 acute care beds, 7 ED stretchers and 13 500 annual ED visits. The proportion of rural hospitals with local access to the following 24/7 services was paediatrician, 5%; obstetrician, 10%; psychiatrist, 11%; internist, 12%; intensive care unit, 17%; CT scanner, 20%; surgeon, 26%; ultrasound, 28%; basic X-ray, 97% and laboratory services, 99%. Forty-four per cent and 54% of the RST EDs were more than 300 km from a level 1 and level 2 trauma centre, respectively.ConclusionsThis is the first study describing the services available in Canadian rural EDs. Apart from basic laboratory and X-ray services, most rural EDs have limited access to consultants, advanced imaging and critical care services. A detailed study is needed to evaluate the impact of these limited services on patient outcomes, costs and interfacility transport demands.

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