Where should patients seek treatment when their primary physician is not available?

Medical Economics November 26, 2024
Austin Littrell

Key Takeaways

• Patients seeing within-group physicians were 10% less likely to visit an ED within a week compared to those seeing walk-in clinic physicians.
• The reduction in ED visits was more significant in urban areas and among children/adolescents, while rural patients showed increased ED visits.
• Continuity of care, including informational and management continuity, may contribute to reduced ED visits, but further research is needed.
• The study underscores the tension between timely access and care continuity, suggesting within-group care as a viable alternative to seeing one’s own physician.

A Canadian study found that patients who visited another within-group physician were less likely to require an emergency department visit than those who visited walk-in clinics.

Despite the well-established significance of...

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