User Behaviour at the Horta-Azores Hospital Emergency Department
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24950/rspmi.2582Palavras-chave:
Azores, Emergency Service, Hospital/statistics & numerical data, Health Services Misuse/statistics & numerical data, Surveys and QuestionnairesResumo
Introduction: The inappropriate use of emergency services, with all the negative consequences for health systems, is a widespread, multifactorial phenomenon with an increasing trend.
Methods: To understand our reality, we carried out a study
of the user behavior of the emergency service at Hospital da Horta through a survey, having analyzed 463 cases, representing 6.5% of all episodes during the study period, of which 44% were male and 56% female and two-thirds of whom were aged between 24 and 66 years old.
Results: Based on the Manchester triage, 60% of respondents were classified as non-urgent (Green, Blue and White). Only 5% had contact with the Saúde24 line and only 12% tried to consult any family doctor.
Conclusion: The main reasons for choosing a hospital were the self-perception of clinical urgency, the search for speed in the Emergency Department to solve the problem, the shorter waiting time for care, the greater probability of access to a hospital specialist and/or diagnostic tests and an expectation of higher quality in the service provided.
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