The impact of general practitioners working in or alongside emergency departments: a rapid realist review.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Worldwide, emergency healthcare systems are under intense pressure from ever-increasing demand and evidence is urgently needed to understand how this can be safely managed. An estimated 10%-43% of emergency department patients could be treated by primary care services. In England, this has led to a policy proposal and £100 million of funding (US$130 million), for emergency departments to stream appropriate patients to a co-located primary care facility so they are 'free to care for the sickest patients'. However, the research evidence to support this initiative is weak.

Design

Rapid realist literature review.

Setting

Emergency departments.

Inclusion criteria

Articles describing general practitioners working in or alongside emergency departments.

A

SUBMITTER: Cooper A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6500276 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature