title: A descriptive analysis of emergency visits to an inner city family practice center.
abstract: A six-month prospective study of daily emergency visits was performed at an inner city family practice center in order to understand the utilization pattern of emergency services. 487 visits were identified during the study period. In general, patients of junior residents made more visits. The majority of visits (97%) were nonemergent. The most common presenting complaint was a general symptom (17%), although the most frequent diagnosis was in the supplementary category (17%) that includes medication renewals, the completion of forms and maternal and child health care. Females, the unemployed, the elderly, and individuals with poverty levels of income were most frequently seen in the emergency setting. The reasons for these patterns and the need for further investigations in this area are discussed.
authors.affiliation: State University of New York--Health Science Center, Brooklyn 11203.
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Birrer
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sadovsky
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Henry
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cross
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weiner
mesh_terms: D003151:Community Health Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005194:Family Practice / Q000193:education / Q000639:trends*; D006296:Health Services; D006300:Health Services Misuse; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D009519:New York City; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014495:Universities