Nonurgent Use of a Pediatric Emergency Department

Abstract

In this setting, nonacute visits occurred with lower than perceived frequency and caused disproportionate frustration among staff and families. These visits appear to be driven more by consequences of system design and structure than by family members' decision making. Mistrust of primary care services was not a strong family decision-making factor; the study's setting may have limited its ability to capture such data. Recommended system changes to lower barriers to primary care include expanded office hours, subsidized staffing for offices in medically underserved areas, and lowering barriers to sick care.