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A Novel Approach for the Administration of Medications and Fluids in Emergency Scenarios and Settings
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Parent perspectives and reasons for lower urgency paediatric presentations to emergency departments

Gary L Freed1, Amy R Allen1, Erin Turbitt1

  • 1Health Systems and Workforce Unit, Center for Health Policy, School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Emergency Medicine Australasia : EMA
|February 17, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Many parents seek emergency care for children with low-urgency conditions, often after their general practitioner (GP) advises it. Addressing GP referrals is key to reducing pediatric emergency department (ED) visits.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Emergency Medicine
  • Health Services Research
  • General Practice

Background:

  • Children aged 0-4 years represent the largest group of emergency department (ED) presentations.
  • A significant proportion of these pediatric ED visits are for conditions of lower urgency.
  • Understanding parental decision-making for seeking ED care for non-urgent pediatric conditions is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the reasons why parents seek emergency department (ED) care for their children with lower urgency conditions.
  • To identify the pathways parents utilize when seeking healthcare for their children's non-urgent ailments.

Main Methods:

  • A survey study involving 1150 parents/guardians of children with lower urgency conditions (triage category 4 or 5).
  • Data collected from participants presenting to EDs in three public general hospitals and one pediatric specialty hospital in metropolitan Melbourne.
  • Investigated prior healthcare seeking behaviors, including general practitioner (GP) and telephone triage services.

Main Results:

  • Less than half of parents (43%) attempted to secure a general practitioner (GP) appointment before visiting the ED.
  • Two-thirds of parents who contacted a GP were advised by the GP to proceed to the ED for their child's low-urgency condition.
  • Few parents utilized nurse telephone triage or after-hours GP services prior to ED presentation.

Conclusions:

  • The increasing number of lower urgency pediatric ED presentations places a significant strain on the healthcare system.
  • Educating parents on the availability and appropriateness of GP appointments is a potential initial strategy.
  • Addressing the high rate of GP referrals to EDs for low-urgency pediatric cases requires fundamental improvements in general practice care and GP registrar training.
Abstract

Keywords:
emergency departmentgeneral practicelow urgencypaediatricparent

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