Primary care problems in patients attending a semi-rural accident and emergency unit: a prospective study.
OBJECTIVE
To analyse the characteristics of patients attending a coastal resort accident and emergency (A&E) unit and compare use by summer visitors with use by the indigenous winter population by previously validated assessment criteria.


METHODS
Accident and emergency unit of a semi-rural coastal town district general hospital.


METHODS
3643 first attenders in the summer cohort and 2876 in the winter cohort.


METHODS
All patients attending the A&E unit over two 28 day periods in summer and winter 1995 were assessed prospectively in four categories by trained, experienced nurse assessors. Category 4 identified patients who fulfilled the King's College Hospital criteria as being suitable for care from primary care practitioners.


RESULTS
43.8% of the summer patients could have been seen in the primary care setting, as could 38.7% of the winter visitors.


CONCLUSIONS
The proportion of patients with primary care problems who attend semi-rural A&E units appears to be much higher than previously thought. These findings cast doubt on the validity of the King's College Hospital criteria for classifying patients to either primary care or A&E categories.
Cottingham
R L
RL
Eastbourne District General Hospital, East Sussex, UK.
D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005194:Family Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006767:Hospitals, District; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012424:Rural Population; D012621:Seasons; D006113:United Kingdom; D014505:Urban Population; D016526:Workload