Eligibility of Patients Referred to Emergency Departments by Their General Practitioners for Care in Walk-in Clinics: A Single-Center Study in Île-de-France
Trial Snapshot
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Status
- Recruiting
- Sponsor
- Enrollment
- 80
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Proportion of Patients Referred by General Practitioners to the Emergency Department Who Could Have Been Managed in a Walk-in Clinic
Study Overview
Brief Summary
This study aims to find out how many patients sent to the emergency department by their general practitioner could instead be treated in a walk-in clinic. Walk-in clinics provide quick, basic medical care without an appointment and can perform simple tests like blood work and X-rays. By identifying patients who don't need full hospital emergency care, this study hopes to improve patient flow and reduce overcrowding in emergency rooms in the Île-de-France region.
Study Design
- Study Type
- Observational
- Observational Model
- Cohort
- Time Perspective
- Retrospective
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 18 Years to — (Adult, Older Adult)
- Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria
- •Age 18 years or older
- •Patient referred to the emergency department (ED) with a letter from a general practitioner (GP)
- •ED visit during the study hours (Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.)
- •Consultation in the selected adult emergency service
- •Medical or traumatic reason justifying the ED visit
- •Patient stable at arrival and during ED care
Exclusion Criteria
- •Patients under 18 years old (pediatric cases excluded)
- •No referral letter or proof of GP referral
- •ED visit outside study hours (weekends, nights)
- •Patients requiring intensive hospital care defined by:
- •Intravenous treatments (e.g., antibiotics, fluids)
- •Heavy imaging exams (CT scan, MRI) during the visit
- •Diagnoses with immediate life- or function-threatening conditions (e.g., myocardial infarction, stroke, severe infection)
- •Hospitalization decided during or after ED visit
- •Clinical instability at or during ED visit (abnormal vital signs, respiratory distress, etc.)
- •Patients referred for non-medical reasons (social issues, lack of medical follow-up)
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Proportion of Patients Referred by General Practitioners to the Emergency Department Who Could Have Been Managed in a Walk-in Clinic
Time Frame: 30 min
Secondary Outcomes
No secondary outcomes reported
