Regular source of primary care and emergency department use of children in Victoria.
- Publisher:
- WILEY-BLACKWELL
- Publication Type:
- Journal Article
- Citation:
- J Paediatr Child Health, 2016, 52, (3), pp. 303-307
- Issue Date:
- 2016-03
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| Filename | Description | Size | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| REGULAR SOURCE OF PRIMARY CARE_revisions.pdf | Accepted version | 243.13 kB |
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AIM: The aim of this paper was to study the prevalence of a regular source of primary care for Victorian children attending one of four emergency departments (EDs) and to determine associated characteristics, including ED use. METHODS: Responses were collected via an electronic survey from parents attending EDs with their child (≤9 years of age) for a lower-urgency condition. Single, multiple choice, and Likert scale responses were analysed using bivariate and logistic regression tests. RESULTS: Of the 1146 parents who provided responses, 80% stated their child has a regular source of primary care. Of these, care is mostly received by a general practitioner (GP) (95%) in GP group practices (71%). Approximately 20% have changed where their child receives primary care in the last year. No associations were observed between having a regular source of primary care and frequency of ED attendance in the past 12 months, although parents whose child did not have a regular source of primary care were more likely to view the ED as a more convenient place to receive care than the primary care provider (39% without regular source vs. 18% with regular source; P < 0.0001). Children were less likely to have a regular source of primary care if their parents were younger, had a lower household income, lower education, and were visiting a hospital in a lower socio-economic indexes for areas rank. CONCLUSIONS: Policy options to improve continuity of care for children may require investigation. Increasing the prevalence of regular source of primary care for children may in turn reduce ED visits.
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