Eligibility of Patients Referred to Emergency Departments by Their General Practitioners for Care in Walk-in Clinics: A Single-Center Study in Île-de-France

Status

Recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Observational

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT07122869

Enrollment

Registered

2025-08-14

Start date

2025-07-28

Completion date

2025-08-30

Last updated

2025-08-14

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Emergency Service, Hospital, General Practitioners, Health Services Accessibility, Patient Admission, Primary Health Care, Walk-In Clinics

Brief summary

This study aims to find out how many patients sent to the emergency department by their general practitioner could instead be treated in a walk-in clinic. Walk-in clinics provide quick, basic medical care without an appointment and can perform simple tests like blood work and X-rays. By identifying patients who don't need full hospital emergency care, this study hopes to improve patient flow and reduce overcrowding in emergency rooms in the Île-de-France region.

Interventions

None listed

Study design

Observational model

COHORT

Time perspective

RETROSPECTIVE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

18 Years to No maximum

Inclusion criteria

* Age 18 years or older * Patient referred to the emergency department (ED) with a letter from a general practitioner (GP) * ED visit during the study hours (Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.) * Consultation in the selected adult emergency service * Medical or traumatic reason justifying the ED visit * Patient stable at arrival and during ED care

Exclusion criteria

* Patients under 18 years old (pediatric cases excluded) * No referral letter or proof of GP referral * ED visit outside study hours (weekends, nights) * Patients requiring intensive hospital care defined by: * Intravenous treatments (e.g., antibiotics, fluids) * Heavy imaging exams (CT scan, MRI) during the visit * Diagnoses with immediate life- or function-threatening conditions (e.g., myocardial infarction, stroke, severe infection) * Hospitalization decided during or after ED visit * Clinical instability at or during ED visit (abnormal vital signs, respiratory distress, etc.) * Patients referred for non-medical reasons (social issues, lack of medical follow-up)

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Proportion of Patients Referred by General Practitioners to the Emergency Department Who Could Have Been Managed in a Walk-in Clinic	30 min

Countries

France

Outcome results