Primary care follow up of patients discharged from the emergency department: a retrospective study
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The visit to the emergency department (ED) constitutes a brief, yet an important point in the continuum of medical care. The aim of our study was to evaluate the continuity of care of adult ED visitors.</p> <p>Methods<...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2004-08-01
|
| Series: | BMC Family Practice |
| Online Access: | http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2296/5/16 |
| _version_ | 1811228364435881984 |
|---|---|
| author | Or Yaacov Kitai Eliezer Vinker Shlomo Nakar Sasson |
| author_facet | Or Yaacov Kitai Eliezer Vinker Shlomo Nakar Sasson |
| author_sort | Or Yaacov |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The visit to the emergency department (ED) constitutes a brief, yet an important point in the continuum of medical care. The aim of our study was to evaluate the continuity of care of adult ED visitors.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We retrospectively reviewed all ED discharge summaries for over a month 's period. The ED chart, referral letter and the patient's primary care file were reviewed. Data collected included: age, gender, date and hour of ED visit, documentation of ED referral and ED discharge letter in the primary care file.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>359 visits were eligible for the study. 192 (53.5%) of the patients were women, average age 54.1 ± 18.7 years (mean ± SD). 214 (59.6%) of the visits were during working hours of primary care clinics ("working hours"), while the rest were "out of hours" visits. Only 196 (54.6%) of patients had a referral letter, usually from their family physician. A third (71/214) of "working hours" visits were self referrals, the rate rose to 63.5% (92/145) of "out of hours" visits (p < 0.0001). The ED discharge letter was found in 50% (179/359) of the primary care files. A follow-up visit was documented in only 31% (111/359). Neither follow up visit nor discharge letter were found in 43% of the files (153/359).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We have found a high rate of ED self referrals throughout the day together with low documentation rates of ED visits in the primary care charts. Our findings point to a poor continuity of care of ED attendees.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T09:57:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-877affb7ca4047b1af8f4bf3e995be84 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2296 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T09:57:41Z |
| publishDate | 2004-08-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Family Practice |
| spelling | doaj.art-877affb7ca4047b1af8f4bf3e995be842022-12-22T03:37:39ZengBMCBMC Family Practice1471-22962004-08-01511610.1186/1471-2296-5-16Primary care follow up of patients discharged from the emergency department: a retrospective studyOr YaacovKitai EliezerVinker ShlomoNakar Sasson<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The visit to the emergency department (ED) constitutes a brief, yet an important point in the continuum of medical care. The aim of our study was to evaluate the continuity of care of adult ED visitors.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We retrospectively reviewed all ED discharge summaries for over a month 's period. The ED chart, referral letter and the patient's primary care file were reviewed. Data collected included: age, gender, date and hour of ED visit, documentation of ED referral and ED discharge letter in the primary care file.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>359 visits were eligible for the study. 192 (53.5%) of the patients were women, average age 54.1 ± 18.7 years (mean ± SD). 214 (59.6%) of the visits were during working hours of primary care clinics ("working hours"), while the rest were "out of hours" visits. Only 196 (54.6%) of patients had a referral letter, usually from their family physician. A third (71/214) of "working hours" visits were self referrals, the rate rose to 63.5% (92/145) of "out of hours" visits (p < 0.0001). The ED discharge letter was found in 50% (179/359) of the primary care files. A follow-up visit was documented in only 31% (111/359). Neither follow up visit nor discharge letter were found in 43% of the files (153/359).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We have found a high rate of ED self referrals throughout the day together with low documentation rates of ED visits in the primary care charts. Our findings point to a poor continuity of care of ED attendees.</p>http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2296/5/16 |
| spellingShingle | Or Yaacov Kitai Eliezer Vinker Shlomo Nakar Sasson Primary care follow up of patients discharged from the emergency department: a retrospective study BMC Family Practice |
| title | Primary care follow up of patients discharged from the emergency department: a retrospective study |
| title_full | Primary care follow up of patients discharged from the emergency department: a retrospective study |
| title_fullStr | Primary care follow up of patients discharged from the emergency department: a retrospective study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Primary care follow up of patients discharged from the emergency department: a retrospective study |
| title_short | Primary care follow up of patients discharged from the emergency department: a retrospective study |
| title_sort | primary care follow up of patients discharged from the emergency department a retrospective study |
| url | http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2296/5/16 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT oryaacov primarycarefollowupofpatientsdischargedfromtheemergencydepartmentaretrospectivestudy AT kitaieliezer primarycarefollowupofpatientsdischargedfromtheemergencydepartmentaretrospectivestudy AT vinkershlomo primarycarefollowupofpatientsdischargedfromtheemergencydepartmentaretrospectivestudy AT nakarsasson primarycarefollowupofpatientsdischargedfromtheemergencydepartmentaretrospectivestudy |