title: [Unscheduled pediatrician office visits: A national survey].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Unscheduled visits (UV) are defined as visits to the family pediatrician (FP) without an appointment or when the appointment was made less than 24h before. Because the number of FPs has decreased since the 2000s, the FP might be less available for UVs and that might be one of the reasons for the increase in emergency department visits.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The main objective of the study was to evaluate the proportion of UVs among visits with a FP. The secondary objective was to describe the daily activity of FPs.
  
  
  METHODS
  In February 2012, e-mail requests were sent to 1022 FPs, asking them to complete an anonymous questionnaire online at the website of the French Association of Pediatricians in Outpatient Practice (AFPA). The questionnaire was about 1 day of activity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 434 FPs participated in the study (42.5%). Among the 10,263 visits a day conducted by these FPs, 4574 were UVs (44.6% [95% CI: 43.6-45.5]). Two hundred and fifty FPs (59.5%) could not conduct one or more UVs because of a lack of availability. The number of children who were not treated on the same day because of a lack of availability was 959, i.e., 2.2 children per day and pediatrician. An absence of off-hour pediatricians in outpatient practice during weekends and during the night was reported by 61% (266) and 90% (391) of the FPs, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FPs' activity includes a considerable number of UVs. However, a large number of UVs could not be made because of a lack of pediatricians' availability.
authors.affiliation: Service d'urgences pédiatrique, hôpital Armand-Trousseau, Assistance publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, 26, avenue du Docteur-Arnold-Netter, 75012 Paris, France. Electronic address: ckouche@gmail.com.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kouche
authors.affiliation: AFPA, Inserm-CIC 201, cabinet de pédiatrie, 46, cours F.-Roosevelt, 69006 Lyon, France.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stagnara
authors.affiliation: Cabinet de pédiatrie, 30, avenue Victor-Cresson, 92130 Issy-Les-Moulineaux, France.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Assathiany
authors.affiliation: Service d'urgences pédiatrique, hôpital Armand-Trousseau, Assistance publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, 26, avenue du Docteur-Arnold-Netter, 75012 Paris, France; Université Pierre-et-Marie-Curie, Paris VI, 75006 Paris, France.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chappuy
authors.affiliation: Service d'urgences pédiatrique, hôpital Armand-Trousseau, Assistance publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, 26, avenue du Docteur-Arnold-Netter, 75012 Paris, France; Université Pierre-et-Marie-Curie, Paris VI, 75006 Paris, France.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Guedj
mesh_terms: D039602:After-Hours Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D002648:Child; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005602:France; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014600:Utilization Review / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000078329:Workforce