Emergency room search for non-urgent patients: Literature review

Abstract

Based on the question of why there is a demand for non-urgent patients to an Emergency Service (ED), this literature review demonstrated that the problem is not a Brazilian privilege, but a global context. Emphasizing the fact that the screening performed is not based only on clinical criteria, being influenced by social issues, or even because, for the patient, his problem needs immediate treatment. The lack of accessibility to specialized care, geographical dispersion, distrust due to the deterioration of the doctor-patient relationship, the lack of health education among the population, and the culture of immediacy are the main causes of the increase in attendance at hospital emergency services on their own initiative. The definition of "non-urgent" is variable and is generally associated with the economic and social condition of the individual, also claiming that going to the emergency room is due to the convenience of being close to the place of residence and being open 24 hours a day. These consultations (average survey is 2/3 of the patients not classified as urgent) cause harm both to the population that actually needs the ED and to the health care providers due to the overcrowding of the system. Its resolution is complex, as it ranges from investments in more efficient outpatient care services to society's awareness of what an urgency really is.

DOI:https://doi.org/10.56238/sevened2024.006-036