Titre
Deciding whether to consult the GP or an emergency department: A qualitative study of patient reasoning in Switzerland.
Type
article
Institution
UNIL/CHUV/Unisanté + institutions partenaires
Périodique
Auteur(s)
Henninger, S.
Auteure/Auteur
Spencer, B.
Auteure/Auteur
Pasche, O.
Auteure/Auteur
Liens vers les personnes
Liens vers les unités
ISSN
1751-1402
Statut éditorial
Publié
Date de publication
2019-07
Volume
25
Numéro
3
Première page
136
Dernière page/numéro d’article
142
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Langue
anglais
Notes
Publication types: Journal Article
Publication Status: ppublish
Publication Status: ppublish
Résumé
Background: Non-urgent care is an important factor responsible for rising healthcare costs and general practitioners (GPs) are known to be more cost-effective than emergency departments (EDs). Objectives: To understand the reasons why patients confronted with a medical problem perceived as urgent choose to consult either a GP or an ED. Methods: We conducted a qualitative study in Switzerland, using data collected between 2014 and 2015 through semi-structured interviews of adults with non-vital medical problems. Half were recruited after an ambulatory consultation in an ED, and half were patients who consulted their GP. The audio-recorded interviews were transcribed, coded, and analysed according to the constant comparative method. Results: The main reason given by patients who consulted their GP first was the quality of the relationship. The more meaningful the relationship, the more likely patients were to seek advice from their GP. One marker of a privileged relationship was GPs supplying their mobile phone number to the patient. The perceived nature of the complaint, for example, symptoms considered as life-threatening or severe pain, together with the expected waiting time in an ED were additional factors influencing the patients' choice. Conclusion: Our study showed that when patients are confronted with what they perceive as a medical emergency, the quality of the relationship with the GP, in particular the continuity of care provided, seem to be the major reasons why they consult their GP rather than an ED.
Sujets
PID Serval
serval:BIB_2D6B7D5B6DAC
PMID
Open Access
Oui
Date de création
2019-07-12T13:57:44.344Z
Date de création dans IRIS
2025-05-20T18:50:41Z
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Nom
BIB_2D6B7D5B6DAC.pdf
Version du manuscrit
published
Taille
992.98 KB
Format
Adobe PDF
PID Serval
serval:BIB_2D6B7D5B6DAC.P001
URN
urn:nbn:ch:serval-BIB_2D6B7D5B6DAC4
Somme de contrôle
(MD5):5ececcf25e35b196f46a9d1c72d115e3