Urgent care in the community: an observational study
Author(s)
Adie, John
Graham, Wayne
Bromfield, Kerron
Maiden, Bianca
Klaer, Sam
Wallis, Marianne
Griffith University Author(s)
Year published
2021
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Purpose: This case study describes a community-based urgent care clinic in a general practitioner (GP) super clinic in South East Queensland. Design/methodology/approach: This retrospective chart audit describes patient demographic characteristics, types of presentations and management for Sundays in 2015. Findings: The majority of patients (97%) did not require admission to hospital or office investigations (95%) and presented with one condition (94%). Of the presentations, 66.5% were represented by 30 conditions. Most patients received a prescription (57%), some were referred to the pathology laboratory (15%) and some were ...
View more >Purpose: This case study describes a community-based urgent care clinic in a general practitioner (GP) super clinic in South East Queensland. Design/methodology/approach: This retrospective chart audit describes patient demographic characteristics, types of presentations and management for Sundays in 2015. Findings: The majority of patients (97%) did not require admission to hospital or office investigations (95%) and presented with one condition (94%). Of the presentations, 66.5% were represented by 30 conditions. Most patients received a prescription (57%), some were referred to the pathology laboratory (15%) and some were referred to radiology (12%). A majority (54%) of patients presented in the first three hours. Approximately half (51%) of patients presenting were aged under 25. More females (53%) presented than males. A majority (53%) lived in the same postcode as the clinic. The three most common office tests ordered were urinalysis, electrocardiogram (ECG) and urine pregnancy test. Some patients (19%) needed procedures, and only 3% were referred to hospital. Research limitations/implications: The study offers analysis of the client group that can be served by an urgent care clinic in a GP super clinic on a Sunday. The study provides an option for emergency department avoidance. Originality/value: Despite calls for more research into community-based urgent care clinics, little is known in Australia about what constitutes an urgent care clinic. The study proposes a classification system for walk-in presentations to an urgent care clinic, which is comparable to emergency department presentations.
View less >
View more >Purpose: This case study describes a community-based urgent care clinic in a general practitioner (GP) super clinic in South East Queensland. Design/methodology/approach: This retrospective chart audit describes patient demographic characteristics, types of presentations and management for Sundays in 2015. Findings: The majority of patients (97%) did not require admission to hospital or office investigations (95%) and presented with one condition (94%). Of the presentations, 66.5% were represented by 30 conditions. Most patients received a prescription (57%), some were referred to the pathology laboratory (15%) and some were referred to radiology (12%). A majority (54%) of patients presented in the first three hours. Approximately half (51%) of patients presenting were aged under 25. More females (53%) presented than males. A majority (53%) lived in the same postcode as the clinic. The three most common office tests ordered were urinalysis, electrocardiogram (ECG) and urine pregnancy test. Some patients (19%) needed procedures, and only 3% were referred to hospital. Research limitations/implications: The study offers analysis of the client group that can be served by an urgent care clinic in a GP super clinic on a Sunday. The study provides an option for emergency department avoidance. Originality/value: Despite calls for more research into community-based urgent care clinics, little is known in Australia about what constitutes an urgent care clinic. The study proposes a classification system for walk-in presentations to an urgent care clinic, which is comparable to emergency department presentations.
View less >
Journal Title
Journal of Health Organization and Management
Note
This publication has been entered in Griffith Research Online as an advanced online version.
Subject
Biomedical and clinical sciences
Health services and systems
Public health
Commerce, management, tourism and services
Science & Technology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Health Policy & Services
Health Care Sciences & Services
Urgent care