[Emergency admissions to a general hospital. Why emergency admission? Is there an alternative?]

A study was conducted where the GPs in a district answered a questionnaire on reasons for hospital admission, divided into the categories: needed hospital investigation, hospital treatment, or needed care and nursing. They judged whether the admission could have been prevented. Finally, a multidisciplinary panel discussed ways to obtain better courses of admission. Of 266 admissions, 40 (15%) were due to a need for care and nursing. Ninety-seven (37%) of the admissions could be replaced by a short one-day stay, and 52 (20%) could have been postponed until the next day if that was possible. The panel discussion showed that municipalities can do more to strengthen the local professional support. It is concluded that the interface between primary care and the hospital should offer better opportunities for one-day admissions or sub-acute admissions, and that municipalities must be more aware of their responsibility for the care of fragile and ill people.