Factors contributing to the non-urgent use of the emergency department by Canadian triage and acuity scale IV and V patient in Sudbury, Ontario
Date
2014-10-07
Authors
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Publisher
Laurentian University of Sudbury
Abstract
In Canada, it is estimated that 57% of all emergency department (ED) visits are
for less-urgent or non-urgent care needs (Hodgins & Wuest, 2007). Factors that
contribute to the non-urgent use of ED services include lack of resources, insufficient
access to care, and lack of awareness regarding available health care options (Fieldston,
Alpern, Nadel, Shea & Alessandrini, 2012). The goal of this quantitative descriptive
design study was to determine the relationship between having access to a primary health
care provider, utilizing community based health care supports, and the patient’s
perception of illness, with the adult patient’s decisions for presenting to the ED with nonurgent
care needs.
Of the 119 respondents, 71.3% had access to a primary health care provider. A
majority of the respondents (70.1%) perceived the threat of their illness as moderate.
Those without registration with a primary care provider had a significantly higher
perceived threat of illness than those with a primary care provider. Results indicate that
72.6% of respondents presented to the ED because of a perceived urgency of need for
care, and 48.7% of participants came to the ED because they thought they required ED
services. Identifying why people present to the ED with non-urgent care needs can assist
health care providers and decision makers to enhance their understanding of the patient’s
expectations of health care services and their perception of illness.
Description
Keywords
Emergency department, Emergpatient perception, Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (CTAS), General System Theory