Frequent emergency department visitors are frequent primary care visitors and report unmet primary care needs

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 567-573 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Cunningham ◽  
Dawn Mautner ◽  
Bon Ku ◽  
Kevin Scott ◽  
Marianna LaNoue
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Emergency Department ◽  
Care Needs

Decision-Making Processes of Patients Who Use the Emergency Department for Primary Care Needs

2013 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 1288-1305 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric K. Shaw ◽  
Jenna Howard ◽  
Elizabeth C. Clark ◽  
Rebecca S. Etz ◽  
Rajiv Arya ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Emergency Department ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Decision Making Processes

scholarly journals 140. Symptoms and Situations Predispose Patients to Use Antibiotics Without Medical Advice

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S200-S200
Author(s):  
Michael Hansen ◽  
Barbara Trautner ◽  
Roger Zoorob ◽  
George Germanos ◽  
Osvaldo Alquicira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Emergency Department ◽  
Emergency Departments ◽  
Primary Care Clinic ◽  
Antibiotic Use ◽  
Safety Net ◽  
Care Clinic ◽  
Primary Care Clinics ◽  
Primary Care Patients ◽  
Emergency Department Patients

Abstract Background Use of antibiotics without a prescription (non-prescription use) contributes to antimicrobial resistance. Non-prescription use includes obtaining and taking antibiotics without a prescription, taking another person’s antibiotics, or taking one’s own stored antibiotics. We conducted a quantitative survey focusing on the factors that impact patients’ decisions to use non-prescription antibiotics. Methods We surveyed patients visiting public safety net primary care clinics and private emergency departments in a racially/ethnically diverse urban area. Surveys were read aloud to patients in Spanish and English. Survey domains included patients’ perspectives on which syndromes require antibiotic treatment, their perceptions of health care, and their access to antibiotics without a prescription. Results We interviewed 190 patients, 122 from emergency departments (64%), and 68 from primary care clinics (36%). Overall, 44% reported non-prescription antibiotic use within the past 12 months. Non-prescription use was higher among primary care clinic patients (63%) than the emergency department patients (39%, p = 0.002). The majority felt that antibiotics would be needed for bronchitis (78%) while few felt antibiotics would be needed for diarrhea (30%) (Figure 1). The most common situation identified “in which respondents would consider taking antibiotics without contacting a healthcare provider was “got better by taking this antibiotic before” (Figure 2). Primary care patients were more likely to obtain antibiotics without prescription from another country than emergency department patients (27% vs. 13%, P=0.03). Also, primary care patients were more likely to report obstacles to seeking a doctor’s care, such as the inability to take time off from work or transportation difficulties, but these comparisons were not statistically significant. Figure 1. Patients’ agreement that antibiotics would be needed varied by symptom/syndrome. Figure 2. Situations that lead to non-prescription antibiotic use impacted the two clinical populations differently Conclusion Non-prescription antibiotic use is a widespread problem in the two very different healthcare systems we included in this study, although factors underlying this practice differ by patient population. Better understanding of the factors driving non-prescription antibiotic use is essential to designing patient-focused interventions to decrease this unsafe practice. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

Presentation and Referral Patterns in Pediatric Closed Hand Fractures

Hand ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 155894472110085
Author(s):  
Landis R. Walsh ◽  
Laura C. Nuzzi ◽  
Amir H. Taghinia ◽  
Brian I. Labow
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Emergency Department ◽  
Pediatric Patients ◽  
Primary Care Providers ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Referral Patterns ◽  
Old Patients ◽  
Hand Surgeon ◽  
Hand Fractures ◽  
The Mean

Background Although pediatric hand fractures are common and generally have good outcomes, they remain a considerable source of anxiety for non–hand surgeons, who are less familiar with these injuries. We hypothesized that this anxiety may manifest as inefficiency in referral patterns. Methods The records of pediatric patients with isolated, closed hand fractures without concurrent trauma seen at our institution by a hand surgeon between January 2017 and December 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. Results There were 454 patients included; 62.1% were men, and the mean age was 9.6 years at initial encounter. Most patients (89.6%) were treated nonoperatively and incurred few complications (0.5%). Roughly half of all cases (n = 262) initially presented to an outside provider. Of these, 24.0% (n = 64 of 262) were evaluated by 2+ providers before a hand surgeon. Most commonly, these patients were referred from an outside emergency department (ED) to our ED before hand surgeon evaluation (n = 45 of 64). Forty-seven patients required surgery; however, none were performed urgently. Although a greater proportion of 7- to 11-year-old patients saw 2+ providers prior to a hand surgeon ( P = .007), fewer required surgery ( P < .001). Conclusions Pediatric closed hand fractures are mainly treated nonoperatively and nonemergently with generally excellent outcomes. Our data suggest that many patients continue to be referred through the ED or multiple EDs/providers for treatment. These inefficient referral patterns demonstrate the need for better education for ED and primary care providers, as well as better communication between these providers and local pediatric hand surgeons. Advancements in these areas are likely to improve efficiency of care and decrease costs.

Finding the path of least resistance: Locally adapting the MITIGATE toolkit in emergency departments and urgent care centers

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-3
Author(s):  
Joanne Huang ◽  
Zahra Kassamali Escobar ◽  
Todd S. Bouchard ◽  
Jose Mari G. Lansang ◽  
Rupali Jain ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Emergency Department ◽  
Antimicrobial Stewardship ◽  
Emergency Departments ◽  
Urgent Care ◽  
Complex Data ◽  
University Of Washington ◽  
Primary Care Clinics ◽  
Urgent Care Centers ◽  
The University

Abstract The MITIGATE toolkit was developed to assist urgent care and emergency departments in the development of antimicrobial stewardship programs. At the University of Washington, we adopted the MITIGATE toolkit in 10 urgent care centers, 9 primary care clinics, and 1 emergency department. We encountered and overcame challenges: a complex data build, choosing feasible outcomes to measure, issues with accurate coding, and maintaining positive stewardship relationships. Herein, we discuss solutions to challenges we encountered to provide guidance for those considering using this toolkit.

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