Related Experiment Videos
Primary care in accident and emergency and general practice: a comparison
1Department of General Practice and Primary Care, King's College School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, U.K.
Social Science & Medicine (1982)
|October 1, 1992
Summary
Many patients visiting Accident and Emergency (A&E) departments have primary care needs not typically seen in general practice. This suggests a continued need for hospital-based primary care in urban settings.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare research
- Public health policy
- General practice and emergency medicine
Background:
- Previous literature suggested 'inappropriate' Accident and Emergency (A&E) attenders could be managed in General Practice (GP), implying GP failure in urban areas.
- A key limitation of prior studies was the retrospective identification of 'inappropriate' A&E attenders.
- This study addresses the need for prospective identification and comparison of A&E and GP attenders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To prospectively identify A&E attenders with primary care problems.
- To compare these A&E attenders with patients visiting their GP.
- To examine differences in patient demographics, problem types, and circumstances.
Main Methods:
- A comparative survey design was employed.
- Study conducted in a London A&E department and a local GP practice.
- Prospective identification of A&E attenders with primary care issues.
Main Results:
- A&E and GP attenders shared similar socio-economic indicators.
- A&E attenders presented with problems atypical of the usual GP workload.
- Circumstances surrounding A&E attendances differed from those of GP attendances.
Conclusions:
- Hospital-provided primary care will remain in demand in urban areas.
- Attempts to redirect these patients to community-based care may have limited success.
- A&E departments fulfill a distinct role in urban primary care provision.