Bmc Health Serv Res
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Bmc Health Serv Res · Aug 2017
Exploring the relationship between general practice characteristics and attendance at Walk-in Centres, Minor Injuries Units and Emergency Departments in England 2009/10-2012/2013: a longitudinal study.
The UK National Health Service Emergency Departments (ED) have recently faced increasing attendance rates. This study investigated associations of general practice and practice population characteristics with emergency care service attendance rates. ⋯ Practices with more patients satisfied with waiting time, having a preferred GP, and using MIU and WIC services, had lower ED attendance. Increases over time in attendance at MIUs, and patient satisfaction with opening hours was associated with reductions in service use.
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Bmc Health Serv Res · Aug 2017
Factors associated with chronic frequent emergency department utilization in a population with diabetes living in metropolitan areas: a population-based retrospective cohort study.
A small proportion of patients utilizes a disproportionately large amount of emergency department (ED) resources. Being able to properly identify chronic frequent ED users, i.e. frequent ED users over a multiple-year period, would allow healthcare professionals to intervene before it occurs and, if possible, redirect these patients to more appropriate health services. The objective of this study was to explore the factors associated with chronic frequent ED utilization in a population with diabetes. ⋯ Interventions must target the population at higher risk of becoming chronic frequent ED users and should be designed to manage the complex interaction between high illness burden and mental health.
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Bmc Health Serv Res · Aug 2017
Compliance with telephone triage advice among adults aged 45 years and older: an Australian data linkage study.
Middle-aged and older patients are prominent users of telephone triage services for timely access to health information and appropriate referrals. Non-compliance with advice to seek appropriate care could potentially lead to poorer health outcomes among those patients. It is imperative to assess the extent to which middle-aged and older patients follow triage advice and how this varies according to their socio-demographic, lifestyle and health characteristics as well as features of the call. ⋯ Compliance with telephone triage advice among middle-age and older patients varied substantially according to both patient- and call-related factors. Knowledge about the patients who are less likely to comply with telephone triage advice, and about characteristics of calls that may influence compliance, will assist in refining patient triage protocols and referral pathways, training staff and tailoring service design and delivery to achieve optimal patient compliance.