Why do patients attend out-of-hours GP services in Ireland?

Area of Science:

• Primary Care
• Health Services Research
• General Practice

Background:

• Rising attendance at out-of-hours General Practitioner (GP) services in Ireland.
• Limited literature exploring the drivers of increased demand for these services.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate patient-reported factors contributing to the utilization of out-of-hours GP services in Ireland.

Main Methods:

• A pilot-tested survey administered to patients at an out-of-hours GP centre in Cork, Ireland.
• Data collected via forced-choice, free-text, and Likert scale questions.
• Descriptive statistical analysis performed using MS Excel.

Main Results:

• 75% of surveyed patients did not contact their regular GP first.
• 49% cited symptom urgency, 36% faced appointment unavailability, and 15% found out-of-hours services more convenient.
• Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) symptoms were the most common presentation (34%).

Conclusions:

• Patient-perceived urgency, difficulty obtaining regular GP appointments, and convenience influence out-of-hours GP service use.
• Recommendations include patient education campaigns and enhanced daytime GP service resources to mitigate demand.