Primary Care Access, Emergency Department Visits, and Unplanned Short Hospitalizations in the UK

Relationship between patient-perceived quality of primary care and self-reported hospital utilisation in China: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Reducing avoidable hospital admissions is a global healthcare priority, with optimal primary care recognised as pivotal for achieving this objective. However, in developing systems like China, where primary care is evolving without compulsory gatekeeping, the relationship between patient-perceived primary care quality and hospital utilisation remains underexplored.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to explore the association between patient-perceived primary care quality and self-reported hospital utilisation in China.

METHODS

Data were collected from 16 primary care settings. Patient-perceived quality of primary care was measured using the Assessment Survey of Primary Care scale across six domains (first-contact care, continuity, comprehensiveness, accessibility, coordination, and patient-centredness). Hospital utilisation included patient self-reported outpatient visits, hospital admissions, and emergency department (ED) visits in the last six months. Logistic regression analyses were examined associations between self-reported hospital utilisation and perceived primary care quality adjusted for potential confounders.

RESULTS

Of 1,185 patients recruited, 398 (33.6%) reported hospital utilisation. Logistic regression analyses showed that higher total scores for patient-perceived quality of primary care were associated with decreased odds of hospital utilisation (adjusted odds ratio(AOR): 0.417, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.308-0.565), outpatient visits (AOR: 0.394, 95% CI: 0.275-0.566) and hospital admissions (AOR: 0.496, 95% CI: 0.276-0.891). However, continuity of care was positively associated with ED visits (AOR: 2.252, 95% CI: 1.051-4.825).

CONCLUSION

Enhanced patient-perceived quality of primary care in China is associated with a reduction in self-reported overall hospital utilisation, including outpatient visits and hospital admissions. However, better continuity of care may be associated with increased ED visits. Further research is warranted for precise insights and validation of these findings.

Investigating a novel population health management system to increase access to healthcare for children: a nested cross-sectional study within a cluster randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Early intervention for unmet needs is essential to improve health. Clear inequalities in healthcare use and outcomes exist. The Children and Young People's Health Partnership (CYPHP) model of care uses population health management methods to (1) identify and proactively reach children with asthma, eczema and constipation (tracer conditions); (2) engage these families, with CYPHP, by sending invitations to complete an online biopsychosocial Healthcheck Questionnaire; and (3) offer early intervention care to those children found to have unmet health needs. We aimed to understand this model's effectiveness to improve equitable access to care.

METHODS

We used primary care and CYPHP service-linked records and applied the same methods as the CYPHP's population health management process to identify children aged <16 years with a tracer condition between 1 April 2018 and 30 August 2020, those who engaged by completing a Healthcheck and those who received early intervention care. We applied multiple imputation with multilevel logistic regression, clustered by general practitioner (GP) practice, to investigate the association of deprivation and ethnicity, with children's engagement and receiving care.

RESULTS

Among 129 412 children, registered with 70 GP practices, 15% (19 773) had a tracer condition and 24% (4719) engaged with CYPHP's population health management system. Children in the most deprived, compared with least deprived communities, had 26% lower odds of engagement (OR 0.74; 95% CI 0.62 to 0.87). Children of Asian or black ethnicity had 31% lower odds of engaging, compared with white children (0.69 (0.59 to 0.81) and 0.69 (0.62 to 0.76), respectively). However, once engaged with the population health management system, black children had 43% higher odds of receiving care, compared with white children (1.43 (1.15 to 1.78)), and children from the most compared with least deprived communities had 50% higher odds of receiving care (1.50 (1.01 to 2.22)).

CONCLUSION

Detection of unmet needs is possible using population health management methods and increases access to care for children from priority populations with the highest needs. Further health system strengthening is needed to improve engagement and enhance proportionate universalist access to healthcare.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

ClinicalTrials.gov Registry (NCT03461848).

Parental migration, socioeconomic deprivation and hospital admissions in preschool children in England: national birth cohort study, 2008 to 2014

BACKGROUND

A third of children born in England have at least one parent born outside the United Kingdom (UK), yet family migration history is infrequently studied as a social determinant of child health. We describe rates of hospital admissions in children aged up to 5 years by parental migration and socioeconomic group.

METHODS

Birth registrations linked to Hospital Episode Statistics were used to derive a cohort of 4,174,596 children born in state-funded hospitals in England between 2008 and 2014, with follow-up until age 5 years. We looked at eight maternal regions of birth, maternal country of birth for the 6 most populous groups and parental migration status for the mother and second parent (UK-born/non-UK-born). We used Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) quintiles to indicate socioeconomic deprivation. We fitted negative binomial/Poisson regression models to model associations between parental migration groups and the risk of hospital admissions, including interactions with IMD group.

RESULTS

Overall, children whose parents were both born abroad had lower emergency admission rates than children with parents both born in the UK. Children of UK-born (73.6% of the cohort) mothers had the highest rates of emergency admissions (171.6 per 1000 child-years, 95% confidence interval (CI) 171.4-171.9), followed by South Asia-born mothers (155.9 per 1000, 95% CI 155.1-156.7). The high rates estimated in the South Asia group were driven by children of women born in Pakistan (186.8 per 1000, 95% CI 185.4-188.2). A socioeconomic gradient in emergency admissions was present across all maternal regions of birth groups, but most pronounced among children of UK-born mothers (incidence rate ratio 1.43, 95% CI 1.42-1.44, high vs. low IMD group). Patterns of planned admissions followed a similar socioeconomic gradient and were highest among children with mothers born in Middle East and North Africa, and South Asia.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, we found the highest emergency admission rates among children of UK-born parents from the most deprived backgrounds. However, patterns differed when decomposing maternal place of birth and admission reason, highlighting the importance of a nuanced approach to research on migration and health.

Emergency department visits as a potential opportunity to promote primary care attachment and modify utilization patterns - results of a pilot study in Berlin, Germany

BACKGROUND

Utilization by low acuity patients contributes to emergency department (ED) crowding. Both knowledge deficits about adequate care levels and access barriers in primary care are important promoters of such presentations. Concurrently, not having a general practitioner (GP) increases the likelihood of low-acuity ED utilization. This pilot study thus investigated feasibility, acceptance, and potential effects of an ED-delivered intervention for low-acuity patients with no regular primary care provider, consisting of an educational leaflet on acute care options and an optional GP appointment scheduling service.

METHODS

Low-acuity ED consulters not attached to a GP were given an information leaflet about alternative care offers for acute health problems and offered optional personal appointment scheduling at a local GP practice. Patients were surveyed on demographics, medical characteristics, health care utilization, valuation of the intervention, and reasons for not being attached to a GP and visiting the ED. A follow-up survey was conducted after twelve months. Trends in health and health care utilization were evaluated.

RESULTS

Between December 2020 and April 2022, n = 160 patients were enrolled, n = 114 were followed up. The study population was characterized by young age (mean 30.6 years) and predominantly good general health. Besides good health, personal mobility was a central reason for not being attached to a GP, but general preference for specialists and bad experiences with primary care were also mentioned. Most frequently stated motives for the ED consultation were subjective distress and anxiety, a belief in the superiority of the hospital, and access problems in primary care. The interventional offers were favorably valued, 52.5% (n = 84) accepted the GP appointment scheduling service offer. At follow-up, GP utilization had significantly increased, while there were no significant changes regarding utilization of other providers, including ED. An additional practice survey showed a 63.0% take-up rate for the appointment service.

CONCLUSIONS

With this pilot study, we were able to show that a personalized appointment scheduling service seems to be a promising approach to promote GP attachment and increase primary care utilization in patients without a regular GP in a highly urbanized setting. Further larger-scale studies are needed to investigate potential quantitative effects on ED visits.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS00023480); date 2020/11/27.

Socioeconomic deprivation, health and healthcare utilisation among millennials

This study estimates and decomposes components of different measures of inequality in health and healthcare use among millennial adolescents, a sizeable cohort of individuals at a critical stage of life. Administrative data from the UK Hospital Episode Statistics are linked to Next Steps, a survey collecting information about millennials born between 1989 and 1990, providing a uniquely comprehensive source of health and socioeconomic variables. Socioeconomic inequalities in psychological distress, long-term illness and the use of emergency and outpatient hospital care are measured using a corrected concentration index. Shapley-Shorrocks decomposition techniques are employed to measure the relative contributions of childhood socioeconomic circumstances to adolescents' health and healthcare inequality of opportunity. Results show that income-related deprivation contributes to significant inequalities in mental and physical health among adolescents aged between 15 and 17 years old. There are also pro-rich inequalities in the use of specific outpatient hospital services (e.g., orthodontic and mental healthcare), while pro-poor disparities are found in the use of emergency care services. Regional and parental circumstances are leading factors in influencing inequality of opportunity in the use of hospital care among adolescents. These findings shed light on the main drivers of health inequalities during an important stage of human development and have potentially important implications on human capital formation across the life-cycle.

Children accessing accident and emergency department for non-urgent consultations: A cross-sectional study about parents' use of primary care services

INTRODUCTION

Parents often take their children to the Paediatric Accident and Emergency Department (A&E) for non-urgent consultations rather than using community-based primary care services. This study describes the use of primary care services in parents taking their children to the A&E for non-urgent consultations.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted from July 2018 to June 2019, in a second-level Italian paediatric A&E of a tertiary-level children's academic research and hub hospital. Parents of children aged between 3 months and 6 years assigned with a white code at the triage were asked to complete a paper-and-pencil 40-item questionnaire after accessing the A&E for a non-urgent consultation.

RESULTS

The questionnaire was completed by the parents of 237 children (males 58 %; median age = 2.3 years). Overall, 48.1 % (n = 114) of the parents reported consulting 'often/always' the primary care paediatrician, mainly when their child was sick and for check-ups (n = 182, 76.8 %). However, only 7.2 % (n = 17) of the parents 'often/always' used any other health service in the community. Most of them (n = 191, 82 %) did not even know where the community health centre was located.

CONCLUSION

Parents accessing the A&E for non-urgent consultations should be better informed/educated on how to use community health services.

Access to primary care for children and young people (CYP) in the UK: a scoping review of CYP's, caregivers' and healthcare professionals' views and experiences of facilitators and barriers

OBJECTIVES

To examine children and young people's (CYP), caregivers' and healthcare professionals' (HCPs) views or experiences of facilitators and barriers to CYP access to UK primary care services to better understand healthcare inequity. To explore differences across CYP subpopulations with greater health needs from deprived areas, identifying as ethnic minorities, with experiences of state care, special educational needs or disabilities, chronic conditions or mental health problems.

DESIGN

Scoping review.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Included studies were in English, published 2012-2022 and reported: the views/experiences of CYP (0-25 years), caregivers or HCPs about accessing UK primary care; using quantitative or qualitative empirical methods.

DATA SOURCES

PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science, PsycINFO and Scopus.

RESULTS

We included 47 reports (46 studies). CYP/caregivers' decision to access care was facilitated by CYP/caregivers' or their family/friends' ability to identify a health issue as warranting healthcare attention. Barriers to accessing care included perceived stigma (eg, being seen as a bad parent), embarrassment and discrimination experiences. CYP and caregivers believed longer opening hours could facilitate more timely access to care. Caregivers and HCPs reported that delayed or rejected referrals to secondary or adult care were a barrier to having needs met, especially for CYP with poor mental health. CYP and caregivers in numerous studies emphasised the importance of communication and trust with HCPs, including taking their concerns seriously, being knowledgeable and providing continuity of care for CYP. Common barriers reported across high-need subpopulations were caregivers needing knowledge and confidence to advocate for their child, gaps in HCP's knowledge and a lack of connectedness between primary and secondary care.

CONCLUSIONS

Connecting general practices and community health workers/services, improving CYP/caregivers' understanding of common childhood conditions, addressing HCP's knowledge gaps in paediatric care and integrated approaches between primary and secondary care may reduce inequity in access.

Patient and caregiver characteristics associated with differential use of primary care for children and young people in the UK: a scoping review

OBJECTIVE

To systematically map evidence to answer the research question: What is the relationship between the characteristics of children and young people (CYP) or their caregivers and primary care service use in the UK, taking into account underlying healthcare needs? DESIGN: Scoping review.

SETTING

Primary care.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

English-language quantitative or mixed-methods studies published between 2012 and 2022.

DATA SOURCES

Medline, Embase, Scopus and Web of Science Social Sciences Citation Index, and grey literature.

RESULTS

22 eligible studies were identified, covering general practice (n=14), dental health (n=4), child mental health (MN) services (n=3) and immunisation (n=1). Only eight studies (36%) controlled for variables associated with healthcare need (eg, age, birth weight and long-term conditions). In these, evidence of horizontal inequity in primary care use was reported for CYP living in deprived areas in England, with and without complex needs. Horizontal inequity was also identified in primary care MN referrals for CYP in England identifying as mixed-race, Asian or black ethnicity, compared with their white British peers. No evidence of horizontal inequity was observed, however, in primary care use for CYP in England exposed to parental depression, or for CYP children from low-income households in Scotland. Increasing CYP's age was associated with decreasing primary care use across included studies. No studies were found regarding CYP from Gypsy or Traveller communities, children in care, or those with disabilities or special educational needs.

CONCLUSIONS

There is evidence that socioeconomic factors impact on CYP's primary care use, in particular age, ethnicity and deprivation. However, better quality evidence is required to evaluate horizontal inequity in use and address knowledge gaps regarding primary care use for vulnerable CYP populations and the impact of policy and practice related 'supply side' of primary care.

Smartphone App PACOM to Provide Advice Regarding Self-Triage for the Acute Primary Care Needs of Children: Accuracy of Algorithms

BACKGROUND

We developed a phone app, PACOM (Parents Application Conseils et Orientation Médicale), to provide medical advice to caregivers based on several algorithms and a series of binary questions related to children's symptoms. We compared the recommendations of the PACOM algorithms and clinicians for children visiting the emergency department (ED).

METHODS

Between January and February 2022, we prospectively recruited French-speaking parents of children without any chronic disease who presented to the pediatric ED with any complaint except for mental health problems or trauma. Isolated head trauma was included. They completed questionnaires and the various PACOM algorithms. The first algorithm, called "Quick Look," was developed to identify children with life-threatening emergencies. The standard reference was the advice of the ED clinicians who were blinded to the parental responses to the PACOM algorithm questions. The recommendations included "call urgent medical support," "visit the ED," "visit your general practitioner within 24 hours," and "visit your general practitioner in the next days."

RESULTS

The study included 269 parents. The response rate was 75%. The median age of the children was 3 years with interquartile range: 1 to 7 years. In total, 268 children completed the "Quick Look," 141 "fever," 83 "abdominal pain," 72 "cough," 70 "vomiting," 130 questionnaires relative to other proposed symptoms, and 70 "other symptom" questionnaires. The PACOM recommendations were "call urgent medical assistant" for 98 children, "ED visit" for 131, "visit general practitioner within 24 hours" for 13, and "visit general practitioner during the next days" for 24. The sensitivity and specificity of the PACOM recommendation to "call urgent medical support or visit the ED" were 98.1% (95% confidence interval, 95.5-100.00) and 22.1% (95% confidence interval, 15.3-28.8), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The PACOM algorithms has high sensitivity but low specificity for reducing ED visits and calls for urgent medical support.

Parent's preferences for unscheduled paediatric healthcare: A discrete choice experiment

BACKGROUND

Unscheduled healthcare is a key component of healthcare delivery and makes up a significant proportion of healthcare access, with children being particularly high users of unscheduled healthcare. Understanding the relative importance of factors that influence this behaviour and decision-making is fundamental to ensuring the system is best designed to meet the needs of users and foster appropriate cost-effective usage of health system resources.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to identify the parent's preferences for unscheduled healthcare for a common mild childhood illness.

DESIGN

A discrete choice experiment (DCE) was developed to identify the preferences of parents accessing unscheduled healthcare for their children.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Data were collected from parents in Ireland (N = 458) to elicit preferences across five attributes: timeliness, appointment type, healthcare professional attended, telephone guidance before attending and cost.

RESULTS

Using a random parameters logit model, all attributes were statistically significant, cost (β = -5.064, 95% confidence interval, CI [-5.60, -4.53]), same-day (β = 1.386, 95% CI [1.19, 1.58]) or next-day access (β = 0.857, 95% CI [0.73, 0.98]), coupled with care by their own general practitioner (β = 0.748, 95% CI [0.61, 0.89]), identified as the strongest preferences of parents accessing unscheduled healthcare for their children.

DISCUSSION

The results have implications for policy development and implementation initiatives that seek to improve unscheduled health services as understanding how parents use these services can maximise their effectiveness.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

The development of the DCE included a qualitative research component to ensure that the content accurately reflected parents experiences when seeking healthcare. Before data collection, a pilot test was carried out with the target population to gather their views on the survey.

The role of contextual factors in decision-making by General Practitioners on paediatric referral to the Emergency Department: A Discrete Choice Experiment

A General Practitioner's (GP) decision to refer a patient to the emergency department (ED) requires consideration of a multitude of factors, and significant variation in GP referral patterns to secondary care has been recorded. This study examines the contextual factors that influence GPs when referring a paediatric patient with potentially self-limiting clinical symptoms to the ED. Utilizing a discrete choice experiment, survey data was collected from GPs in Ireland (n = 142) to elicit factors influencing this decision across five attributes: time/day of visit, repeat presentation, parents' capacity to cope, parent requesting a referral, and access to a paediatric outpatient clinic/day unit. Using mixed logit models, all attributes were statistically significant, with repeat presentation and parents lacking the capacity to cope identified as the strongest contextual factors leading to the decision to refer to the ED. There has been limited exploration of this decision-making process and this study uses a robust design to identify and rank contextual attributes. Enhanced awareness of contextual factors on referral decision-making is crucial to understanding patterns of paediatric unscheduled healthcare and to planning services that respond to parent's and children's needs, whilst allowing GPs to make decisions in the best interest of the child.

Socioeconomic position, bronchiolitis and asthma in children: counterfactual disparity measures from a national birth cohort study

BACKGROUND

The debated link between severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection in early life and asthma has yet to be investigated within a social inequity lens. We estimated the magnitude of socioeconomic disparity in childhood asthma which would remain if no child were admitted to hospital for bronchiolitis, commonly due to RSV, during infancy.

METHODS

The cohort, constructed from national administrative health datasets, comprised 83853 children born in Scotland between 1 January 2007 and 31 June 2008. Scottish Index for Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) was used to capture socioeconomic position. Emergency admissions for bronchiolitis before age 1 year were identified from hospital records. Yearly indicators of asthma/wheeze from ages 2 to 9 years were created using dispensing data and hospital admission records.

RESULTS

Using latent class growth analysis, we identified four trajectories of asthma/wheeze: early-transient (2.2% of the cohort), early-persistent (2.0%), intermediate-onset (1.8%) and no asthma/wheeze (94.0%). The estimated marginal risks of chronic asthma (combining early-persistent and intermediate-onset groups) varied by SIMD, with risk differences for the medium and high deprivation groups, relative to the low deprivation group, of 7.0% (95% confidence interval: 3.7-10.3) and 13.0% (9.6-16.4), respectively. Using counterfactual disparity measures, we estimated that the elimination of bronchiolitis requiring hospital admission could reduce these risk differences by 21.2% (4.9-37.5) and 17.9% (10.4-25.4), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The majority of disparity in chronic asthma prevalence by deprivation level remains unexplained. Our paper offers a guide to using causal inference methods to study other plausible pathways to inequities in asthma using complex, linked administrative data.

Where Have All the FLOWERS Gone? A Multicenter Investigation of Frequent Users of Midwest Emergency Department Services During the COVID-19 Stay-at-home Orders

Introduction: In this study we aimed to determine the impact of the mandatory coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic stay-at-home order on the proportional makeup of emergency department (ED) visits by frequent users and super users. Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of existing data using a multisite review of the medical records of 280,053 patients to measure the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic stay-at-home order on ED visits. The primary outcomes included analysis before and during the lockdown in determining ED use and unique characteristics of non-frequent, frequent, and super users of emergency services. Results: During the mandatory COVID-19 stay-at-home order (lockdown), the percentage of frequent users increased from 7.8% (pre-lockdown) to 21.8%. Super users increased from 0.7% to 4.7%, while non-frequent users dropped from 91.5% to 73.4%. Frequent users comprised 23.7% of all visits (4% increase), while super user encounters (4.7%) increased by 53%. Patients who used Medicaid and Medicare increased by 39.3% and 4.6%, respectively, while those who were uninsured increased ED use by 190.3% during the lockdown. Conclusion: When barriers to accessing healthcare are implemented as part of a broader measure to reduce the spread of an infectious agent, individuals reliant on these services are more likely to seek out the ED for their medical needs. Policymakers considering future pandemic planning should consider this finding to ensure that vital healthcare resources are allocated appropriately.

Comparative effectiveness of electroacupuncture VS neuromuscular electrical stimulation in the treatment of chronic low back pain in active-duty personals: A single-center, randomized control study

Introduction

Low back pain (LBP) is the most prevalent form of chronic pain in active-duty military personnel worldwide. Electroacupuncture (EA) and neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) are the two most widely used treatment methods in the military, while evidence for their benefits is lacking. The aim of this randomized clinical trial is to investigate the effectiveness of EA vs. NMES in reducing pain intensity among active-duty navy personals with chronic LBP.

Methods

The study is designed as a single-center, randomized controlled trial. The primary outcome is a positive categorical response for treatment success in the first-time follow-up, which is predesignated as a two-point or greater decrease in the NRS score and combined with a score > 3 on the treatment satisfaction scale. The secondary outcomes include pain intensity, rate of treatment success, and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) fear-avoidance beliefs questionnaire (FABQ) score along with muscular performance. The first follow-up starts on the first day after completing the last treatment session, and then the 4-weeks and 12-weeks follow-up are applied via telephone visit.

Results

Eighty-five subjects complete the treatment diagram and are included in the analysis. For the primary outcome, no difference has been found between EA and NMES, with 65.1% (28 in 43) individuals reporting a positive response to EA treatment, while 53.5% (23 in 43) in NMES. However, for longer follow-ups, superiority in positive response of EA has been found in 4-weeks (26 in 39, 66.7% vs. 16 in 40, 40%; P = 0.018) and 12-weeks (24 in 36, 66.7% vs. 12 in 36, 33.3%; P = 0.005) follow-up. In the regression analysis, baseline pain intensity and FABQ score are identified to be highly associated with positive treatment outcomes. Finally, the subgroup analysis suggests that EA treatment is associated with better long-term outcomes in patients with LBP with a severe pain score (NRS score >4, Figure 4B) and stronger fear-avoidance beliefs.

Conclusion

Both the EA and NMES are associated with a positive response in treating military LBP, and the former offers lasting benefits in the later follow-ups. Thus, electroacupuncture is a more recommended treatment for military LBP. A lot of research is needed to verify an efficient and standardized treatment session, with more information and evidence about indications for these treatments.

Trial registration

ChiCTR, (ChiCTR2100043726); registered February 27, 2021.

Geographic inequalities in paediatric emergency department visits in Ontario and Alberta: a multilevel analysis of 2.5 million visits

Background

Research on intra- and inter-regional variations in emergency department (ED) visits among children can provide a better understanding of the patterns of ED utilization and further insight into how contextual features of the urban environment may be associated with these health events. Our objectives were to assess intra-urban and inter-urban variation in paediatric emergency department (PED) visits in census metropolitan areas (CMAs) in Ontario and Alberta, Canada and explore if contextual factors related to material and social deprivation, proximity to healthcare facilities, and supply of family physicians explain this variation.

Methods

A retrospective, population-based analysis of data on PED visits recorded between April 1, 2015 and March 31, 2017 was conducted. Random intercept multilevel regression models were constructed to quantify the intra- (between forward sortation areas [FSAs]) and inter- (between CMAs) variations in the rates of PED visits.

Results

In total, 2,537,442 PED visits were included in the study. The overall crude FSA-level rate of PED visits was 415.4 per 1,000 children population. Across CMAs, the crude rate of PED visits was highest in Thunder Bay, Ontario (771.6) and lowest in Windsor, Ontario (237.2). There was evidence of substantial intra- and inter-urban variation in the rates of PED visits. More socially deprived FSAs, FSAs with decreased proximity to healthcare facilities, and CMAs with a higher rate of family physicians per 1,000 children population had higher rates of PED visits.

Conclusions

The variation in rates of PED visits across CMAs and FSAs cannot be fully accounted for by age and sex distributions, material and social deprivation, proximity to healthcare facilities, or supply of family physicians. There is a need to explore additional contextual factors to better understand why some metropolitan areas have higher rates of PED visits.

Impact of covid-19 on primary care contacts with children and young people aged 0-24 years in England; longitudinal trends study 2015-2020

Background: The NHS response to covid-19 altered provision and access to primary care. Aim: To examine the impact of covid-19 on general practitioner (GP) contacts with children and young people in England. Design and Setting: Longitudinal trends analysis using electronic health records from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink Aurum database. Methods: We included all children and young people younger than 25 years registered with a GP. We compared the number of total, remote and face-to-face contacts during the first UK lockdown (March to June 2020) with the mean contacts for comparable weeks from 2015 to 2019. Results: We examined 47 607 765 GP contacts with 4 307 120 million children and young people. GP contacts fell 41% during the first lockdown compared with previous years. Children aged 1-14 had greater falls in total contacts (>50%) compared with infants and 15-24s. Face-to-face contacts fell by 88% with the greatest falls occurring among children aged 1-14 (> 90%). Remote contacts more than doubled, increasing most in infants (over 2.5 fold). Total contacts for respiratory illnesses fell by 74% whereas contacts for common non-transmissible conditions shifted largely to remote, mitigating the total fall (31%). Conclusion: During the covid-19 pandemic, children and young people’s contact with GPs fell, particularly for face-to-face assessment. This may be explained by a lower prevalence of respiratory illnesses due to fewer social contacts and changing health care seeking behaviour. The large shift to remote contacts mitigated total falls in contacts for some age groups and for common non-transmissible conditions.

Are primary care and continuity of care associated with asthma-related acute outcomes amongst children? A retrospective population-based study

BACKGROUND

Having a primary care provider and a continuous relationship may be important for asthma outcomes. In this study, we sought to determine the association between 1) having a usual provider of primary care (UPC) and asthma-related emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalization in Québec children with asthma and 2) UPC continuity of care and asthma outcomes.

METHODS

Population-based retrospective cohort study using Québec provincial health administrative data, including children 2-16 years old with asthma (N = 39, 341). Exposures and outcomes were measured from 2010-2011 and 2012-2013, respectively. Primary exposure was UPC stratified by the main primary care models in Quebec (team-based Family Medicine Groups, family physicians not in Family Medicine Groups, pediatricians, or no assigned UPC). For those with an assigned UPC the secondary exposure was continuity of care, measured by the UPC Index (high, medium, low). Four multivariate logistic regression models examined associations between exposures and outcomes (ED visits and hospitalizations).

RESULTS

Overall, 17.4% of children had no assigned UPC. Compared to no assigned UPC, having a UPC was associated with decreased asthma-related ED visits (pediatrician Odds Ratio (OR): 0.80, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) [0.73, 0.88]; Family Medicine Groups OR: 0.84, 95% CI [0.75,0.93]; non-Family Medicine Groups OR: 0.92, 95% CI [0.83, 1.02]) and hospital admissions (pediatrician OR: 0.66, 95% CI [0.58, 0.75]; Family Medicine Groups OR: 0.82, 95% CI [0.72, 0.93]; non-Family Medicine Groups OR: 0.76, 95% CI [0.67, 0.87]). Children followed by a pediatrician were more likely to have high continuity of care. Continuity of care was not significantly associated with asthma-related ED visits. Compared to low continuity, medium and high continuity of care decreased asthma-related hospital admissions, but none of these associations were significant.

CONCLUSION

Having a UPC was associated with reduced asthma-related ED visits and hospital admissions. However, continuity of care was not significantly associated with outcomes. The current study provides ongoing evidence for the importance of primary care in children with asthma.

Social and ethnic group differences in healthcare use by children aged 0-14 years: a population-based cohort study in England from 2007 to 2017

OBJECTIVE

To describe social and ethnic group differences in children's use of healthcare services in England, from 2007 to 2017.

DESIGN

Population-based retrospective cohort study.

SETTING/PATIENTS

We performed individual-level linkage of electronic health records from general practices and hospitals in England by creating an open cohort linking data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink and Hospital Episode Statistics. 1 484 455 children aged 0-14 years were assigned to five composite ethnic groups and five ordered groups based on postcode mapped to index of multiple deprivation.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Age-standardised annual general practitioner (GP) consultation, outpatient attendance, emergency department (ED) visit and emergency and elective hospital admission rates per 1000 child-years.

RESULTS

In 2016/2017, children from the most deprived group had fewer GP consultations (1765 vs 1854 per 1000 child-years) and outpatient attendances than children in the least deprived group (705 vs 741 per 1000 child-years). At the end of the study period, children from the most deprived group had more ED visits (447 vs 314 per 1000 child-years) and emergency admissions (100 vs 76 per 1000 child-years) than children from the least deprived group.In 2016/2017, children from black and Asian ethnic groups had more GP consultations than children from white ethnic groups (1961 and 2397 vs 1824 per 1000 child-years, respectively). However, outpatient attendances were lower in children from black ethnic groups than in children from white ethnic groups (732 vs 809 per 1000 child-years). By 2016/2017, there were no differences in outpatient, ED and in-patient activity between children from white and Asian ethnic groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Between 2007 and 2017, children living in more deprived areas of England made greater use of emergency services and received less scheduled care than children from affluent neighbourhoods. Children from Asian and black ethnic groups continued to consult GPs more frequently than children from white ethnic groups, though black children had significantly lower outpatient attendance rates than white children across the study period. Our findings suggest substantial levels of unmet need among children living in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas. Further work is needed to determine if healthcare utilisation among children from Asian and black ethnic groups is proportionate to need.

Characteristics of frequently attending children in hospital emergency departments: a systematic review

OBJECTIVE

To summarise the literature on frequent attendances to hospital emergency departments (EDs) and describe sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of children who attend EDs frequently.

SETTING

Hospital EDs.

PARTICIPANTS

Children <21 years, attending hospital EDs frequently.

PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES

Outcomes measures were defined separately in each study, and were predominantly the number of ED attendances per year.

RESULTS

We included 21 studies representing 6 513 627 children. Between 0.3% and 75% of all paediatric ED users were frequent users. Most studies defined four or more visits per year as a 'frequent ED' usage. Children who were frequent ED users were more likely to be less than 5 years old. In the USA, patients with public insurance were more likely to be frequent attenders. Frequent ED users more likely to be frequent users of primary care and have long-term conditions; the most common diagnoses were infections and gastroenteritis.

CONCLUSIONS

The review included a wide range of information across various health systems, however, children who were frequent ED users have some universal characteristics in common. Policies to reduce frequent attendance might usefully focus on preschool children and supporting primary care in responding to primary care oriented conditions.

Caring for a sick or injured child during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in 2020 in the UK: An online survey of parents' experiences

BACKGROUND

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the first UK lockdown (March to May 2020) witnessed a dramatic reduction in children presenting to primary/emergency care, creating concern that fear of the virus was resulting in children presenting late.

METHODS

An online survey was co-developed with UK parents to understand the impact of the lockdown on parents' help-seeking for, and care of, their sick/injured child(ren). The survey was advertised through social media and snowballing to parents whose children had been ill/injured during the lockdown. Analysis used descriptive statistics, SPSSv25 and thematic analysis.

RESULTS

The survey was fully completed by 198 UK parents. The majority asked for help (144/198): from their family doctor (78), national helplines (48) or an Emergency Department (23). Most reported that their decision-making had not changed, although how they sought help had changed. A few parents reported that the severity and duration of illness had increased because of uncertainty about and/or difficulty accessing services. Parents did not always report seeking help for symptoms rated red or amber by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. Parents reported accessing information through the internet or using information that they already had.

PARENT CONTRIBUTION

This was a collaboration with parents from survey development to dissemination, with two parents being integral members of our research team.

CONCLUSIONS

Our questionnaire was completed by parents who were not deterred from seeking help for their sick or injured children. Even for these parents, the lockdown changes to services created uncertainty about, and barriers to, accessing medical help for their children.

Stuff you think you can handle as a parent and stuff you can't'. Understanding parental health-seeking behaviour when accessing unscheduled care: A qualitative study

Background

Unscheduled health care constitutes a significant proportion of health‐care utilization. Parental decision making when accessing unscheduled care for their children is multifaceted and must be better understood to inform policy and practice.

Design

Nineteen semi‐structured interviews and one focus group (n = 4) with parents of children younger than twelve in Ireland were conducted. Participants had accessed unscheduled care for their children in the past. Data were thematically analysed.

Results

Parents accessed unscheduled care for their children after reaching capacity to manage the child's health themselves. This was informed by factors such as parental experience, perceived urgency and need for reassurance. Parents considered the necessity to access care and situated their health‐seeking behaviour within a framework of ‘appropriateness’. Where parents sought unscheduled care was largely determined by timely access, and inability to secure a general practitioner (GP) appointment often led parents to access other services. Parents expressed a need for more support in navigating unscheduled care options.

Conclusions

Better resources to educate and support parents are required, and structural issues, such as accessibility to GPs, need to be addressed to enable parents to better navigate the unscheduled health system and manage their children's health. The discourse around ‘appropriate’ and ‘inappropriate’ access to health care has permeated parental decision making when accessing unscheduled health care for their children. What constitutes appropriate access should be examined, and a shift away from this framing of health‐seeking behaviour may be warranted.

Patient or Public Contribution

There was no explicit patient or public involvement. All authors hold experience as users of the health system.

Policy of free GP care for children under 6 years: The impact on emergency department attendance

Universal health coverage (UHC) aims to improve child health. Ireland, the only country in the European Union without universal access to primary care, introduced general practitioner (GP) care at no charge for children aged under six in 2015. This paper aims to evaluate the impact of this policy on attendance at the emergency department (ED). A difference-in-difference (DiD) analysis was applied to visit records of 367,000 paediatric patients at five hospitals over a period of five years, with treatment and control differentiated by age. DiD was also used to assess if GP referrals and the severity of presentations altered as a consequence of this policy. While existing research estimates that this policy increased attendance by children aged under six at general practice by over 25%, this policy did not lead to a reduction in ED attendance. Hospital level effects on attendance varied from no impact to increased attendance by children aged under six of 28.9%. While increased GP referrals, particularly for injury and medical reasons, indicated more patients presented to their GP prior to ED attendance, walk-ins without referral did not decrease. Attendance increased at both regional hospitals, which also had the highest proportion of GP referred visits. While the marginal probability of a visit being GP referred increased at four of the five hospitals in this study, only in two of these can the entire effect be attributed to the introduction of this policy (effects 1.4 and 1.8 percentage points). Previous unmet need, capacity constraints in general practice, regional variability in the GP to population ratio, restricted hours of access to GPs, coupled with faster access to diagnostics in the ED setting, may explain variability in the effect and why the expected reduction in ED attendances did not occur.

Are more GPs associated with a reduction in emergency hospital admissions? A quantitative study on GP referral in England

BACKGROUND

Recent studies have found an association between access to primary care and accident and emergency attendances, with better access associated with fewer attendances. Analyses of an association with emergency admissions, however, have produced conflicting findings.

AIM

This study investigated whether emergency admission rates in an area are associated with 1) the number of GPs, and 2) mean size of GP practice.

DESIGN AND SETTING

Analysis was conducted utilising Hospital Episode Statistics, the numbers of GPs and GP practices, Office for National Statistics population data, Quality and Outcomes Framework prevalence data, and Index of Multiple Deprivation data, from 2004/2005 to 2011/2012, for all practices in England.

METHOD

Regression analysis of panel data with fixed effects to address 1) a potential two-way relationship between the numbers of GPs and emergency admissions, and 2) unobservable characteristics of GP practices.

RESULTS

There is not a statistically significant relationship between the number of GPs in a primary care trust area and the number of emergency admissions, when analysing all areas. In deprived areas, however, a higher number of GPs is associated with lower emergency admissions. There is also a lower emergency admission rate in areas in which practices are on average larger, holding GP supply constant.

CONCLUSION

An increase in GPs was found to reduce emergency admissions in deprived areas, but not elsewhere. Areas in which GPs are concentrated into larger practices showed reduced levels of emergency admissions, all else being equal.

Will policy to constrain GP referrals damage health? Evidence using practice level NHS emergency admissions administrative data

Attempts to control hospital expenditure by managing down General Practitioner (GP) referrals are reoccurring features of UK health policy. However, despite the best efforts of GPs to benchmark referral criteria, patient health may be damaged and other costs created by constraining referrals to targets. This paper adopts an indirect method to indicate whether rationing practice referrals may damage population health by distorting the use of health resources away from patients' interests. We utilise a comprehensive database at practice level that allows us to explore the relationship between referrals and emergency admissions, using a panel fixed effects model of admissions that allows for the endogeneity of referrals. We find that practice referrals are positively and partially correlated with emergency admissions, which is consistent with time-varying practice-level sickness shocks driving the relationship between referrals and emergency care, rather than shocks to the practice willingness to refer, or to system reforms. In this environment, government policy to constrain referrals may make the elective care less responsive to practice-level variations in illness, and thereby lower health.

Use and Misuse of Emergency Room for Children: Features of Walk-In Consultations and Parental Motivations in a Hospital in Southern Italy

Objective: Inappropriate use of the emergency department (ED) represents a major worldwide issue both in pediatric and adult age. Herein, we aim to describe features of pediatric visits to the ED of Salerno University Hospital and to evaluate parental reasons behind the decision to walk in. Materials and Methods: We performed a retrospective observational study evaluating ED encounters for children from January 2014 to December 2019. The appropriateness of visits was measured with a national tool assessing every ED encounter, namely, "the Mattoni method," which consists of the combination of the triage code assigned, the diagnostic resources adopted, and the consultation outcomes. Moreover, 64 questionnaires were collected from a sample of parents in the waiting rooms in January 2020. Results: A total number of 42,507 visits were recorded during the study period (19,126 females; mean age ± SD: 4.3 ± 3.8 years), the majority of whom were inappropriate (75.8% over the considered period; 73.6% in 2014; 74.6% in 2015; 76.3% in 2016; 76.7% in 2017; 77.9% in 2018; 75.5% in 2019). Most of the inappropriate consultations arrived at the ED by their own vehicle (94.4%), following an independent decision of the parents (97.2%), especially in the evening and at night on Saturdays/Sundays/holidays (69.7%). A multivariate analysis revealed the following: patients of younger age (OR: 1.11, 95% C.I. 1.06-1.16; p < 0.0019), night visits (OR 1.39; 95% C.I.: 1.32-1.47; p < 0.001), patients living in the municipality of Salerno (OR 1.28; 95% C.I.: 1.22-1.34; p < 0.001), weekend day visits (OR 1.48; 95% C.I.: 1.41-1.56; p < 0.001), and independent parental decision without previous contact with primary care pediatrician (OR 3.01; 95% C.I.: 2.64-3.44; p < 0.001) were all significant independent predictors of inappropriate consultation. The most frequent trigger of ED encounters was fever (51.4%). Hospital admission made up 17.6% of all consultations. The questionnaire showed that most parents were aware of the lack of urgency (20.3%) or minor urgency (53.1%) of the visit. The reasons for walking in were the impossibility to receive a home consultation (70%), the difficulty of contacting their family pediatrician during weekends and holidays (54.4%), as well as the search for a quick, effective, diagnosis and therapy (48.4%). Conclusions: The study suggests a highly inappropriate use of ED for children in our region. This issue deserves considerable attention by health care system leaders in order to optimally integrate hospitals and primary care.

Characteristics of frequent paediatric users of emergency departments in England: an observational study using routine national data

BACKGROUND

Frequent attendances of the same users in emergency departments (ED) can intensify workload pressures and are common among children, yet little is known about the characteristics of paediatric frequent users in EDs.

AIM

To describe the volume of frequent paediatric attendance in England and the demographics of frequent paediatric ED users in English hospitals.

METHOD

We analysed the Hospital Episode Statistics dataset for April 2014-March 2017. The study included 2 308 816 children under 16 years old who attended an ED at least once. Children who attended four times or more in 2015/2016 were classified as frequent users. The preceding and subsequent years were used to capture attendances bordering with the current year. We used a mixed effects logistic regression with a random intercept to predict the odds of being a frequent user in children from different sociodemographic groups.

RESULTS

One in 11 children (9.1%) who attended an ED attended four times or more in a year. Infants had a greater likelihood of being a frequent attender (OR 3.24, 95% CI 3.19 to 3.30 vs 5 to 9 years old). Children from more deprived areas had a greater likelihood of being a frequent attender (OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.54 to 1.59 vs least deprived). Boys had a slightly greater likelihood than girls (OR 1.05, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.06). Children of Asian and mixed ethnic groups were more likely to be frequent users than those from white ethnic groups, while children from black and 'other' had a lower likelihood (OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.05; OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.06; OR 0.88, 95% CI 0.86 to 0.90; OR 0.90, 95% CI 0.87 to 0.92, respectively).

CONCLUSION

One in 11 children was a frequent attender. Interventions for reducing paediatric frequent attendance need to target infants and families living in deprived areas.

Factors influencing general practitioners decisions to refer Paediatric patients to the emergency department: a systematic review and narrative synthesis

BACKGROUND

Clinical guidelines are integral to a general practitioner's decision to refer a paediatric patient to emergency care. The influence of non-clinical factors must also be considered. This review explores the non-clinical factors that may influence general practitioners (GPs) when deciding whether or not to refer a paediatric patient to the Emergency Department (ED).

METHODS

A systematic review of peer-reviewed literature published from August 1980 to July 2019 was conducted to explore the non-clinical factors that influence GPs' decision-making in referring paediatric patients to the emergency department. The results were synthesised using a narrative approach.

RESULTS

Seven studies met the inclusion criteria. Non-clinical factors relating to patients, GPs and health systems influence GPs decision to refer children to the ED. GPs reported parents/ caregivers influence, including their perception of severity of child's illness, parent's request for onward referral and GPs' appraisal of parents' ability to cope. Socio-economic status, GPs' aversion to risk and system level factors such as access to diagnostics and specialist services also influenced referral decisions.

CONCLUSIONS

A myriad of non-clinical factors influence GP referrals of children to the ED. Further research on the impact of non-clinical factors on clinical decision-making can help to elucidate patterns and trends of paediatric healthcare and identify areas for intervention to utilise resources efficiently and improve healthcare delivery.

Association between continuity and access in primary care: a retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Continuity of care is a tenet of primary care. Our objective was to explore the relation between a change in access to a primary care physician and continuity of care.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort study among physicians in a primary care network in southwest Alberta who measured access consistently between 2009 and 2016. We used time to the third next available appointment as a measure of access to physicians. We calculated the provider and clinic continuity, discontinuity and emergency department use based on the physicians' own panels. Physicians who improved, worsened or maintained their level of access within a given year were assessed in multilevel models to determine the association with continuity of care at the physician and clinic levels and the emergency department.

RESULTS

We analyzed data from 190 primary care physicians. Physicians with improved access increased provider continuity by 6.8% per year, reduced discontinuity by 2.1% per year, and decreased emergency department encounters by 78 visits per 1000 patients per year compared to physicians with stable access. Physicians with worsening access had a 6.2% decrease in provider continuity and an increased number of emergency department encounters (64 visits per 1000 panelled patients per year) compared to physicians with stable access.

INTERPRETATION

Changes in access to primary care can affect whether patients seek care from their own physician, from another clinic or at the emergency department. Improving access by reducing the delay in obtaining an appointment with one's primary care physician may be one mechanism to improve continuity of care.

Self-referred walk-in patients in the emergency department - who and why? Consultation determinants in a multicenter study of respiratory patients in Berlin, Germany

BACKGROUND

Emergency department (ED) consultations are on the rise, and frequently consultations by non-urgent patients have been held accountable. Self-referred walk-in (SRW) consulters supposedly represent a predominantly less urgent patient population. The EMACROSS study aimed to explore consultation determinants and motives in SRW patients with respiratory symptoms.

METHODS

Multicenter survey of adult ED patients with respiratory complaints in eight emergency departments in central Berlin, Germany. Secondary hospital records data including diagnoses was additionally assessed. Characteristics of SRW and non-SRW patients were compared. Determinants of SRW consultation were evaluated by binary logistic regression. Consultation motives were analyzed descriptively. As a supplemental approach, network analysis (lasso-regularized mixed graphical model) was performed to explore connections between consultation determinants, consultation features and motives.

RESULTS

Between June 2017 and November 2018, n = 472 participants were included, the median age was 55 years (range 18-96), 53.2% of patients were male and n = 185 cases (39.2%) were SRW consulters. The SRW group showed lower proportions of potentially severe (pneumonia and respiratory failure, p < 0.001, χ2 test) and chronic pulmonary conditions. Determinants of SRW consultation identified by logistic regression were younger age (p < 0.001), tertiary education (p = 0.032), being a first-generation migrant (p = 0.002) or tourist (p = 0.008), having no regular primary care provider (p = 0.036) and no chronic pulmonary illness (p = 0.017). The area under the curve (AUC) for the model was 0.79. Personal distress and access problems in ambulatory care were stated most frequently as consultation motives in the SRW group; network analysis showed the scarcity of associations between demographic and medical SRW determinants and motives triggering the actual decision to consult.

CONCLUSIONS

As to "who" consults, this study identified demographic and medical predictors of SRW utilization. The said markers seem only remotely connected to "why" people decide for SRW visits. To alleviate ED crowding by addressing frequent SRW consultation motives, interventions focused on the ability for symptom self-assessment and at better-accessible alternative care seem sensible.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

German Clinical Trials Register ( DRKS00011930 ); date: 2017/04/25.

Children's unscheduled primary and emergency care in Ireland: a multimethod approach to understanding decision making, trends, outcomes and parental perspectives (CUPID): project protocol

INTRODUCTION

The aim of this project is to determine the patterns, decision-making processes and parental preferences associated with unscheduled paediatric healthcare utilisation in Ireland. Unscheduled paediatric healthcare is outpatient care provided within primary care settings by general practitioners (GPs), emergency departments (EDs) located in paediatric and general hospitals, and out-of-hours services provided by cooperatives of GPs operating on a regional basis. This project will take a multimethod approach to analysing the utilisation of unscheduled paediatric healthcare nationally within the context of a significant change to the provision of healthcare for young children in Ireland-the introduction of free at the point of delivery GP care for all children aged under 6.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

A multimethod approach consisting of three work packages will be employed. Using patient-level data, work package 1 will describe patterns of attendance at primary care, out-of-hours medical services and at EDs. Applying a difference-in-difference methodology, the impact of the introduction of free GP care for children under 6 on attendance will be assessed. Work package 2 will explore geospatial trends of attendance at EDs, identifying disparities in ED attendance by local area and demographic characteristics. Work package 3 will employ two discrete choice experiments to examine parental preferences for unscheduled paediatric healthcare and GP decision making when referring a child to the ED. The insights gained by each of the work packages individually and collectively will inform evidence-based health policy for the organisation of paediatric care and resource allocation.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethical approval for this research has been granted by University College Dublin, The Irish College of General Practitioners and the five participating hospitals. Results will be disseminated via publication in peer-reviewed journals, national and international conferences, and to relevant stakeholders and interest groups.

Health inequities in unscheduled healthcare for children with intellectual disabilities in Ireland: a study protocol

Background: Health inequities for children with intellectual disabilities  are prevalent within different health systems, and children with intellectual disabilites  have shorter life expectancies than the general population, higher mortality rates before the age of 17 and have a greater risk of potentially preventable hospitalisations. A health systems approach to research in this area provides a useful means through which research can inform policy and practice to ensure people with intellectual disabilities receive equitable healthcare; however, there is a paucity of evidence regarding how to address differences that have been described in the literature to date. The overall aim of this research is to establish the extent of health inequities for children with intellectual disabilities  in Ireland compared to children without intellectual disabilities with respect to their utilisation of primary care and rates of hospitalisation, and to gain a better understanding of what influences utilisation of primary care and emergency department services in this population. Methods and analysis: The design of this research adopts a multi-methods approach: statistical analysis of health data to determine the extent of health inequities in relation to healthcare utilisation; discrete choice experiments to explore General Practitioners' decision making and parental preferences for optimal care; and concept mapping to develop consensus between stakeholders on how to address current healthcare inequities. Discussion: By applying a systems lens to the issue of health inequities for children with intellectual disabilities, the research hopes to gain a thorough understanding of the varying components that can contribute to the maintenance of such healthcare inequities. A key output from the research will be a set of feasible solutions and interventions that can address health inequities for this population.

Paediatric contacts with the UK out-of-hours primary care service and contact outcomes: a regional service evaluation

BACKGROUND

Demand on hospital emergency departments for paediatric problems is increasing. However, the volume and nature of paediatric health demands placed on other parts of the urgent care system have not been explored. This understanding is an important first step in developing and improving out-of-hospital care. We aimed to describe the volume, nature, and outcomes of paediatric contacts with out-of-hours general practice (OOH GP). We performed a retrospective service evaluation using data from 12 months of paediatric patient contacts with the Oxfordshire OOH GP service.

METHODS

A database of contacts with the Oxfordshire OOH GP service was created for a 12 month period from December 2014 to November 2015. Descriptive statistics were calculated using SPSS Version 25.

RESULTS

27,455 contacts were made by 18,987 individuals during a 12 month period. The majority of these were for children aged under 5. Over 70% of contacts were at the weekend. The peak contact period was between 18:30 and 21:30. Over 40% of contacts resulted in advice only (no onward referral, requirement for GP follow up, or prescription). 19.7% of contacts resulted in an antibiotic prescription, most commonly those linked with ear, chest, and throat infections.

DISCUSSION

Paediatric contacts with the Oxfordshire OOH GP service were predominantly in younger age groups and in the evening, with 19.7% resulting in an antibiotic prescription. Almost half of the contacts had no follow up or prescription, suggesting non-prescribing health care professionals could be involved in providing care in OOH GP. Further research should consider how children and their parents can be best supported to optimise OOH consulting.

Waiting times in emergency departments: a resource allocation or an efficiency issue?

BACKGROUND

In recent years, the flow of patients to the Emergency Departments (ED) of Western countries has steadily increased, thus generating overcrowding and extended waiting times. Scholars have identified four main causes for this phenomenon, related to: continuity of primary care services; availability of specific clinical pathways for chronic patients; ED's personnel endowment; organization of the ED. This study aims at providing a logical diagnostic framework to support managers in investigating specific solutions to be applied to their EDs to cope with high ED waiting times. The framework is based on the ED waiting times and ED admission rate matrix. It was applied to the Tuscan EDs as illustrative example.

METHODS

To provide the factors to be analyzed once the EDs are positioned into the matrix, a list of issues has been identified. The matrix was applied to Tuscan EDs. Data were collected from the Tuscan performance evaluation system, integrated with specific data on Tuscan EDs' personnel. The Tuscan EDs matrix, the descriptive statistics for each quadrant and the Spearman's rank correlation analysis among waiting times, admission rates and a set of performance indicators were conducted to help managers to read the phenomena that they need to investigate.

RESULTS

The combined reading of the correlations and waiting times-admission rates matrix shows that there are no optimal rules for all the EDs in managing admission rates and waiting times, but solutions have to be found considering mixed and personalized strategies.

CONCLUSIONS

The waiting times-admission rates matrix provides a tool able to support managers in detecting the problems related to the management of ED services. In particular, using this matrix, healthcare managers could be facilitated in the identification of possible solutions for their specific situation.

Trends in healthcare use in children aged less than 15 years: a population-based cohort study in England from 2007 to 2017

OBJECTIVE

To describe changing use of primary care in relation to use of urgent care and planned hospital services by children aged less than 15 years in England in the decade following major primary care reforms from 2007 to 2017 DESIGN: Population-based retrospective cohort study.

METHODS

We used linked data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink to study children's primary care consultations and use of hospital care including emergency department (ED) visits, emergency and elective admissions to hospital and outpatient visits to specialists.

RESULTS

Between 1 April 2007 and 31 March 2017, there were 7 604 024 general practitioner (GP) consultations, 981 684 ED visits, 287 719 emergency hospital admissions, 2 253 533 outpatient visits and 194 034 elective admissions among 1 484 455 children aged less than 15 years. Age-standardised GP consultation rates fell (-1.0%/year) to 1864 per 1000 child-years in 2017 in all age bands except infants rising by 1%/year to 6722 per 1000/child-years in 2017. ED visit rates increased by 1.6%/year to 369 per 1000 child-years in 2017, with steeper rises of 3.9%/year in infants (780 per 1000 child-years in 2017). Emergency hospital admission rates rose steadily by 3%/year to 86 per 1000 child-years and outpatient visit rates rose to 724 per 1000 child-years in 2017.

CONCLUSIONS

Over the past decade since National Health Service primary care reforms, GP consultation rates have fallen for all children, except for infants. Children's use of hospital urgent and outpatient care has risen in all ages, especially infants. These changes signify the need for better access and provision of specialist and community-based support for families with young children.

Frequent attendances at emergency departments in England

BACKGROUND

A small proportion of patients referred to as 'frequent attenders' account for a large proportion of hospital activity such as ED attendances and admissions. There is a lack of recent, national estimates of the volume of frequent ED attenders. We aimed to estimate the volume and age distribution of frequent ED attenders in English hospitals.

METHOD

We included all attendances at all major EDs across England in the financial year 2016-2017. Patients who attended three times or more were classified as frequent attenders. We used a logistic regression model to predict the odds of being a frequent attender by age group.

RESULTS

14 829 519 attendances were made by 10 062 847 patients who attended at least once. 73.5% of ED attenders attended once and accounted for 49.8% of the total ED attendances. 9.5% of ED attenders attended three times or more; they accounted for 27.1% of the ED attendances. While only 1.2% attended six times or more, their contribution was 7.6% of the total attendances. Infants and adults aged over 80 years were significantly more likely to be frequent attenders than adults aged 30-59 years (OR=2.11, 95% CI 2.09 to 2.13, OR=2.22, 95% CI 2.20 to 2.23, respectively). The likelihood of hospital admission rose steeply with the number of attendances a patient had.

CONCLUSION

One in 10 patients attending the ED are frequent attenders and account for over a quarter of attendances. Emergency care systems should consider better ways of reorganising health services to meet the needs of patients who attend EDs frequently.

Sociodemographic Characteristics Associated with Contacts to Emergency Medical Services and Out-of-Hours Primary Care: An Observational Study of 2.3 Million Citizens

Background

Out-of-hours (OOH) health care services are often divided into emergency medical services (EMS) and OOH primary care (OOH-PC). EMS and many OOH-PC use telephone triage, yet the patient still makes the initial choice of contacting a service and which service. Sociodemographic characteristics are associated with help-seeking. Yet, differences in characteristics for EMS and OOH-PC patients have not been investigated in any large-scale cohort studies. Such knowledge may contribute to organizing OOH services to match patient needs. Thus, in this study we aimed to explore which sociodemographic patient characteristics were associated with utilizing OOH health care and to explore which sociodemographic characteristics were associated with EMS or OOH-PC contact.

Methods

A population-based observational cohort study of inhabitants in two regions (North Denmark Region and Capital Region of Copenhagen) with or without contact to OOH services during 2016 was conducted. Associations between sociodemographic characteristics and OOH contacts (and EMS versus OOH-PC contact) were evaluated by regression analyses.

Results

We identified 619,857 patients with OOH contact. Female sex (IRR=1.16 (95% CI: 1.16-1.17)), non-western ethnicity (IRR=1.02 (95% CI: 1.01-1.02)), living alone (IRR=1.08 (95% CI: 1.08-1.09)), age groups ≥81 years (IRR=2.00 (95% CI: 1.98-2.02)) and 0-18 years (IRR=1.66 (95% CI: 1.66-1.67)) and low income (IRR=1.41 (95% CI: 1.40-1.42)) were more likely to contact OOH health care compared to males, Danish ethnicity, citizens cohabitating, age 31-65 years and high income. Disability pensioners more often contacted OOH care (IRR=1.79 (95% CI: 1.77-1.81) compared to employees. Old age (≥81 years) (OR=3.21 (95% CI: 3.13-3.30)), receiving cash benefits (OR=2.45 (95% CI: 2.36-2.54)), low income (OR=1.76 (95% CI: 1.72-1.81)) and living alone (OR=1.40 (95% CI: 1.37-1.42)) were all associated with EMS contacts rather than OOH-PC contacts.

Conclusion

Several sociodemographic factors were associated with contacting a health care service outside office hours and with contacting EMS rather than OOH-PC. Old age, low income, low education and low socioeconomic status were of greatest importance.

Health inequities in unscheduled healthcare for children with intellectual disabilities in Ireland: a study protocol

Background: Health inequities for children with intellectual disabilities (ID) are prevalent within different health systems, and children with ID have shorter life expectancies than the general population, higher mortality rates before the age of 17 and have a greater risk of potentially preventable hospitalisations. A health systems approach to research in this area provides a useful means through which research can inform policy and practice to ensure people with ID receive equitable healthcare; however, there is a paucity of evidence regarding how to address differences that have been described in the literature to date. The overall aim of this research is to establish the extent of health inequities for children with ID in Ireland compared to children without ID with respect to their utilisation of primary care and rates of hospitalisation, and to gain a better understanding of what influences utilisation of primary care and ED services in this population. Methods and analysis: The design of this research adopts a mixed-methods approach: statistical analysis of health data to determine the extent of health inequities in relation to healthcare utilisation; discrete choice experiments to explore General Practitioners' decision making and parental preferences for optimal care; and concept mapping to develop consensus between stakeholders on how to address current healthcare inequities. Discussion: By applying a systems lens to the issue of health inequities for children with ID, the research hopes to gain a thorough understanding of the varying components that can contribute to the maintenance of such healthcare inequities. A key output from the research will be a set of feasible solutions and interventions that can address health inequities for this population.

Cost-effectiveness of using an extensively hydrolyzed casein formula supplemented with Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG in managing IgE-mediated cow's milk protein allergy in the UK

Objective: To estimate the cost-effectiveness of using an extensively hydrolyzed casein formula (eHCF) plus the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (eHCF plus LGG; Nutramigen* LGG^®) compared to an eHCF alone as first-line dietary management for Immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated cow's milk protein allergy (CMPA) in the UK. Methods: Decision modelling was undertaken to estimate the probability of IgE-mediated cow's milk allergic infants being symptom free (i.e. not experiencing urticaria, eczema, asthma or rhinoconjunctivitis) and developing tolerance to cow's milk by 5 years. The model also estimated the cost (at 2016/2017 prices) of healthcare resource use funded by the UK's National Health Service (NHS) over 5 years after starting a formula, as well as the relative cost-effectiveness of the two dietary formulae. Results: At 5 years after the start of a formula the probability of being symptom free was estimated to be 0.97 and 0.76 among infants who were originally fed eHCF plus LGG and an eHCF alone, respectively. This encompassed the probability of children being asthma free at 5 years after the start of treatment, which was 0.99 and 0.91 in the eHCF plus LGG and eHCF alone groups, respectively. Additionally, the probability of acquiring tolerance to cow's milk was estimated to be 0.94 and 0.66 among infants who were originally fed eHCF plus LGG and an eHCF alone, respectively. The estimated total healthcare cost over 5 years of initially feeding infants with eHCF plus LGG was less than that of feeding infants with an eHCF alone (£4229 versus £5136 per patient). Conclusions: First-line management of newly diagnosed infants with IgE-mediated CMPA with eHCF plus LGG instead of an eHCF alone improves outcome, releases healthcare resources for alternative use, reduces the NHS cost of patient management and thereby affords a cost-effective dietetic strategy to the NHS.

Contact with primary health care physicians before an acute hospitalisation

Objectives: To assess contacts with general practitioners (GPs), both regular GPs and out-of-hours GP services (OOH) during the year before an emergency hospital admission. Design: Longitudinal design with register-based information on somatic health care contacts and use of municipality health care services. Setting: Four municipalities in central Norway, 2012-2013. Subjects: Inhabitants aged 50 and older admitted to hospital for acute myocardial infarction, hip fracture, stroke, heart failure, or pneumonia. Main outcome measures: GP contact during the year and month before an emergency hospital admission. Results: Among 66,952 identified participants, 720 were admitted to hospital for acute myocardial infarction, 645 for hip fracture, 740 for stroke, 399 for heart failure, and 853 for pneumonia in the two-year study period. The majority of these acutely admitted patients had contact with general practitioners each month before the emergency hospital admission, especially contacts with a regular GP. A general increase in GP contact was observed towards the time of hospital admission, but development differed between the patient groups. Patients admitted with heart failure had the steepest increase of monthly GP contact. A sizable percentage did not contact the regular GP or OOH services the last month before admission, in particular men aged 50-64 admitted with myocardial infarction or stroke. Conclusion: The majority of patients acutely admitted to hospital for different common severe emergency diagnoses have been in contact with GPs during the month and year before the admission. This points towards general practitioners having an important role in these patients' health care. KEY MESSAGES There is scarce knowledge about primary health care contact before an emergency hospital admission. The percentage of patients with contacts differed between patient groups, and increased towards hospital admission for most diagnoses, particularly heart failure. More than 50% having monthly general practitioner contact before admission underscores the general practitioners' role in these patients' health care. Our results underscore the need to consider medical diagnosis when talking about the role of general practitioners in preventing emergency hospital admissions.

Risk of ketoacidosis in children at the time of diabetes mellitus diagnosis by primary caregiver status: a population-based retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Diabetic ketoacidosis is the leading cause of death among children with type 1 diabetes mellitus, and is an avoidable complication at first-time diagnosis of diabetes. Because having a usual provider of primary care is important in improving health outcomes for children, we tested the association between having a usual provider of care and risk of diabetic ketoacidosis at onset of diabetes.

METHODS

Using linked health administrative data for the province of Quebec, we conducted a population-based retrospective cohort study of children aged 1-17 years in whom diabetes was diagnosed from 2006 to 2015. We estimated adjusted risk ratios (RRs) for an episode of diabetic ketoacidosis at the time of diabetes diagnosis in relation to usual provider of care (family physician, pediatrician or none) using Poisson regression models with robust error variance.

RESULTS

We identified 3704 new cases of diabetes in Quebec children from 2006 to 2015. Of these, 996 (26.9%) presented with diabetic ketoacidosis. A decreased risk of this complication was associated with having a usual provider of care; the association was stronger with increasing age, reaching statistical significance among those aged 12-17 years. Within this age group, those who had a family physician or a pediatrician were 31% less likely (adjusted RR 0.69, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.56-0.85) or 38% less likely (adjusted RR 0.62, 95% CI 0.45-0.86), respectively, to present with diabetic ketoacidosis, relative to those without a usual provider of care.

INTERPRETATION

For children with newly diagnosed diabetes, having a usual provider of care appears to be important in decreasing the risk of diabetic ketoacidosis at the time of diabetes diagnosis. Our results provide further evidence concerning the need for initiatives that promote access to primary care for children.

Characteristics and patient pathways of Lyme disease patients: a retrospective analysis of hospital episode data in England and Wales (1998-2015)

Background

Lyme disease is a tick-borne disease of increasing global importance. There is scant information on Lyme disease patient demographics in England and Wales, and how they interact with the National Health Service (NHS). Our aims were to explore the demographic characteristics of Lyme disease patients within the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) and Patient Episode Database for Wales (PEDW), and to describe patient pathways.

Methods

Data from 1st January 1998 to 31st December 2015 was retrieved from the two administrative hospital datasets (HES and PEDW), based on patients coded with Lyme disease. Information was collected on demographic characteristics, home address and case management. Incidence rates were calculated, and demographics compared to the national population.

Results

Within HES and PEDW, 2361 patients were coded with Lyme disease. There was a significant increase (p < 0.01) in incidence from 0.08 cases/100,000 in 1998, to 0.53 cases/100,000 in 2015. There was a bimodal age distribution, patients were predominantly female, white and from areas of low deprivation. New cases peaked annually in August, with higher incidence rates in southern central and western England. Within hospital admission data (n = 2066), most cases were either referred from primary care (28.8%, n = 596) or admitted via accident and emergency (A&E) (29.5%, n = 610). This population entering secondary care through A&E suggest a poor understanding of the recommended care pathways for symptoms related to Lyme disease by the general population.

Conclusions

These data can be used to inform future investigations into Lyme disease burden, and patient management within the NHS. They provide demographic information for clinicians to target public health messaging or interventions.

Factors that influence family and parental preferences and decision making for unscheduled paediatric healthcare: a systematic review protocol

There is a plethora of factors that dictate where parents and families choose to seek unscheduled healthcare for their child; and the complexity of these decisions can present a challenge for policy makers and healthcare planners as these behaviours can have a significant impact on resources in the health system. The systematic review will seek to identify the factors that influence parents’ and families’ preferences and decision making when seeking unscheduled paediatric healthcare.  Five databases will be searched for published studies (CINAHL, PubMed, SCOPUS, PsycInfo, EconLit) and grey literature will also be searched. Inclusion and exclusion criteria will be applied and articles assessed for quality. A narrative approach will be used to synthesise the evidence that emerges from the review. By collating the factors that influence decision-making and attendance at these services, the review can inform future health policies and strategies seeking to expand primary care to support the provision of accessible and responsive care. The systematic review will also inform the design of a discrete choice experiment (DCE) which will seek to determine parental and family preferences for unscheduled paediatric healthcare. Policies that seek to expand primary care and reduce hospital admissions from emergency departments need to be cognisant of the nuanced and complex factors that govern patients’ behaviour.

Factors that influence family and parental preferences and decision making for unscheduled paediatric healthcare: a systematic review protocol

There is a plethora of factors that dictate where parents and families choose to seek unscheduled healthcare for their child; and the complexity of these decisions can present a challenge for policy makers and healthcare planners as these behaviours can have a significant impact on resources in the health system. The systematic review will seek to identify the factors that influence parents’ and families’ preferences and decision making when seeking unscheduled paediatric healthcare.  Five databases will be searched for published studies (CINAHL, PubMed, SCOPUS, PsycInfo, EconLit) and grey literature will also be searched. Inclusion and exclusion criteria will be applied and articles assessed for quality. A narrative approach will be used to synthesise the evidence that emerges from the review. By collating the factors that influence decision-making and attendance at these services, the review can inform future health policies and strategies seeking to expand primary care to support the provision of accessible and responsive care. The systematic review will also inform the design of a discrete choice experiment (DCE) which will seek to determine parental and family preferences for unscheduled paediatric healthcare. Policies such as Sláintecare that seek to expand primary care and reduce hospital admissions from emergency departments need to be cognisant of the nuanced and complex factors that govern patients’ behaviour.

Health Disparities in the Hospitalized Child

Health care disparities exist along the continuum of care for children admitted to the hospital; they start before admission, impact hospital course, and continue after discharge. During an acute illness, risk of admission, length of stay, hospital costs, communication during family-centered rounds, and risk of readmission have all been shown to vary by socioeconomic status, race, and ethnicity. Understanding factors beyond the acute illness that increase a child's risk of admission, increase hospital course complications, and lower discharge quality is imperative for the new generation of pediatric hospitalists focused on improving health for a population of children. In this article, we describe a framework to conceptualize socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic health disparities for the hospitalized child. Additionally, we offer actions pediatric hospitalists can take to address disparities within their practices.

Neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics, healthcare spatial access, and emergency department visits for ambulatory care sensitive conditions for elderly

The objective of this study is to explore relationships among neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics (for example, income and ethnicity), spatial access to health care, and emergency department (ED) visits for ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSC) for adults aged 65 years and over. ED visit data were from 15 counties in the Texas Coastal Bend from September 1, 2009 and August 1, 2012. ED visits for ACSC that were common for elderly were estimated based on Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's (AHRQ's) ACSC and Prevention Quality Indicators. The U.S. Census American Community Service (ACS) data provided neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics. Spatial access to general practices and to hospitals, respectively at the zip code level were estimated using the enhanced two-step floating catchment area method. Using multivariable regression models, we estimated associations of elderly ACSC ED visits with neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics and spatial accessibility of healthcare. We found higher rates of elderly ACSC ED visits are significantly associated with higher rates of elderly Hispanic and poverty at the zip code level. Spatial access to general practices and hospitals play inverse roles in the rate of elderly ACSC ED visits. Poorer access to general practices but easier access to hospitals contributes to the higher elderly ACSC ED rate at the zip code level. Neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics and spatial access to healthcare affect the rate of elderly ACSC ED visits. Research informing policy action is needed to decrease racial/ethnic and economic disadvantage and increase equitable spatial access to primary care for the elderly.