[Why do parents of small children visit casualty ward when their children suffer of acute illness?].
BACKGROUND
People in big cities tend to use the casualty ward instead of their own doctor or the emergency service. This is both more expensive and an inappropriate use of the health care system in Denmark. We wanted to find out why parents used the casualty ward and to look for an alternative way of helping parents during minor acute illnesses in their children.


METHODS
One hundred questionnaires were distributed in the paediatric ward of Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, from 28.1.1999 to 9.4.1999 to parents who came to the casualty ward without a referral from a doctor. Only people who could speak Danish participated.


RESULTS
Seventy-five percent had no referral from a doctor, the rest were verbally referred by a doctor. Twenty-five percent came to the casualty ward while their own doctor was on duty. Thirty-nine percent chose the casualty ward, because the staff had a special knowledge of children. Most parents wanted to have their children examined by a paediatrician.


CONCLUSIONS
Parents need to be educated in the proper use of the health care system when their children are ill. Many use the casualty ward for convenience and to get expert knowledge about their children's illness, even when it is not necessary. We suggest that an experienced children's nurse should work with the emergency service, so as to keep children with minor, acute illness out of the casualty ward.
H:S Rigshospitalet, Juliane Marie Centret, paediatrisk klinik I, børnemodtagelsen. lene.lindenskov@dadlnet.dk
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D002648:Child; D002662:Child Health Services / Q000191:economics; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003376:Counseling; D003718:Denmark; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D010290:Parents; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013663:Teaching