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

Recruiting

• Conditions: Emergency Service, Hospital; Primary Health Care; General Practitioners; Patient Admission; Health Services Accessibility; Walk-In Clinics

• Registration Number: NCT07122869
• Lead Sponsor: Centre Hospitalier de Gonesse

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.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2025-07-28
• Status Verified: 2025-08
• Study First Submitted: 2025-08-08
• Study First Submitted QC: 2025-08-08
• Last Update Submitted: 2025-08-08
• Study First Posted: 2025-08-14
• Last Update Posted: 2025-08-14
• Primary Completion: 2025-08-30
• Study Completion: 2025-08-30

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: RECRUITING
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 80

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)

Study & Design

• Study Type: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Proportion of Patients Referred by General Practitioners to the Emergency Department Who Could Have Been Managed in a Walk-in Clinic	30 min

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Centre Hospitalier de Gonesse; 🇫🇷 Gonesse, France