Urgent care in the community: an observational study

Abstract

Purpose

This case study describes a community-based urgent care clinic in a general practitioner (GP) super clinic in South East Queensland.

Design/methodology/approach

This retrospective chart audit describes patient demographic characteristics, types of presentations and management for Sundays in 2015.

Findings

The majority of patients (97%) did not require admission to hospital or office investigations (95%) and presented with one condition (94%). Of the presentations, 66.5% were represented by 30 conditions. Most patients received a prescription (57%), some were referred to the pathology laboratory (15%) and some were referred to radiology (12%). A majority (54%) of patients presented in the first three hours. Approximately half (51%) of patients presenting were aged under 25. More females (53%) presented than males. A majority (53%) lived in the same postcode as the clinic. The three most common office tests ordered were urinalysis, electrocardiogram (ECG) and urine pregnancy test. Some patients (19%) needed procedures, and only 3% were referred to hospital.

Research limitations/implications

The study offers analysis of the client group that can be served by an urgent care clinic in a GP super clinic on a Sunday. The study provides an option for emergency department avoidance.

Originality/value

Despite calls for more research into community-based urgent care clinics, little is known in Australia about what constitutes an urgent care clinic. The study proposes a classification system for walk-in presentations to an urgent care clinic, which is comparable to emergency department presentations.

Citation

Adie, J., Graham, W., Bromfield, K., Maiden, B., Klaer, S. and Wallis, M. (2021), "Urgent care in the community: an observational study", Journal of Health Organization and Management, Vol. 35 No. 8, pp. 949-963. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHOM-09-2020-0364