Attendances at emergency departments can be reduced by enabling patients to see the same GP every time they visit their doctor’s surgery. [s]Science Newsline[/s] reports that this is just one of several recommendations by researchers at the [b]University of Bristol’s Centre for Academic Primary Care[/b] who looked at evidence from studies around the world. The research, carried out in collaboration with the [b]Universities of Manchester, Oxford and University College London[/b], found patients who saw the same GP every time they attended their GP surgery were less likely to require emergency care. Other factors affecting admission and attendances at emergency departments are: how easy it is for patients to access GP surgeries and primary care providers; the distance the patients live away from the emergency department; and the number of confusing options patients had for accessing emergency care.
[link url=http://www.sciencenewsline.com/articles/2014072417310022.html]Full Science Newsline report[/link]
[link url=http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/4/5/e004746.abstract?sid=04586c27-992d-4f43-be44-0ba181ae851e]BMJ Open abstract[/link]