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

NCT07122869 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: 0115_URGENCES
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 80
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

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.

Conditions

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

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Proportion of Patients Referred by General Practitioners to the Emergency Department Who Could Have Been Managed in a Walk-in Clinic

  30 min

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Study participants will be selected from adult patients who visit the emergency department of a single hospital in Île-de-France between July 2023 and July 2025. Specifically, they must have been referred to the emergency department by their general practitioner with a referral letter and have visited during weekdays between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. Only patients who are medically stable at arrival and have a medical or traumatic reason for their visit will be included.

You may qualify if:

• 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

You may not qualify if:

• 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)

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Centre Hospitalier de Gonesse: lead

Study Sites (1)

Centre Hospitalier de Gonesse

Gonesse, France, France

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Emergencies

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Disease Attributes; Pathologic Processes; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: COHORT
• Time Perspective: RETROSPECTIVE
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 8, 2025
• First Posted: August 14, 2025
• Study Start: July 28, 2025
• Primary Completion: August 30, 2025
• Study Completion: August 30, 2025
• Last Updated: August 14, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-08

Locations

FR (1)