Complaints and Diagnoses of Emergency Department Patients in the Netherlands: A Comparative Study of Integrated Primary and Emergency Care.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

In the Netherlands, an increasing number of emergency departments (EDs) and general practitioner cooperatives collaborate by creating one Emergency-Care-Access-Point (ECAP). This has resulted in fewer patients at ECAP EDs. The objective of this study was to explore differences in patient characteristics, presented complaints and ED discharge diagnoses between EDs with an ECAP and EDs without an ECAP.

Methods

A retrospective observational study was performed with 1800 consecutive patient records sampled from six EDs spread over the Netherlands in 2013. We extracted data on time and date of presentation, sex, age, presenting complaint, discharge diagnosis, origin and follow up.

Results

At ECAP EDs, the mean age was 47.8 years (95%CI 46.1-49.4) compared to 41.3

SUBMITTER: Thijssen WA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4488864 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature