Ann Fam Med
After-hours visits to own physician group reduce emergency department use
Study design: This population-based, retrospective cohort study analyzed administrative data from Ontario, Canada, covering April 2019 to March 2020. The study included 506,033 patients who visited within-group family physicians and 506,033 who visited walk-in clinic physicians. Propensity score matching was used to balance patient characteristics between groups.
Results: Patients who visited within-group family physicians were 10% less likely to visit the emergency department within 7 days compared with those who visited walk-in clinic physicians (4.0% vs. 4.4%). The effect was more pronounced for weekend visits, with a 21% reduction in emergency department visits (3.7% vs. 4.7%). Additionally, patients who saw within-group physicians were more likely to have follow-up virtual or in-person visits within 7 days.
Impact on clinical practice: The findings suggest that after-hours care by within-group family physicians can reduce ED visits, likely due to better continuity of care. This highlights the importance of integrated care models and may inform policies to enhance primary care access and continuity.
Source:
Salahub C, et al. (2024, November/December). Ann Fam Med. Health Care Utilization After a Visit to a Within-Group Family Physician vs a Walk-In Clinic Physician. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39586695/