Randomized controlled trial of general practitioner versus usual medical care in a suburban accident and emergency department using an informal triage system.
We determined if care provided by general practitioners (GPs) to non-emergency patients, in a suburban accident and emergency (A&E) department using an informal triage system, differs significantly from care provided by usual A&E staff. One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight patients participated. By comparison with usual A&E staff, GPs prescribed significantly more often (percentage relative difference [% RD] = 12 [95% confidence interval = 1-23]) and referred more patients to hospital (% RD = 21 [95% CI = 9-33]). This is the first study to report that sessional GPs working in an A&E department utilize similar or more resources than usual A&E staff. It emphasizes the need for the continued audit of initiatives that have been introduced into new settings.
Gibney
D
D
Department of General Practice, University College Dublin, Republic of Ireland.
Murphy
A W
AW
Barton
D
D
Byrne
C
C
Smith
M
M
Bury
G
G
Mullan
E
E
Plunkett
P K
PK
D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005194:Family Practice; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D019036:Suburban Health Services / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014218:Triage / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*