Pacific patients' reasons for attending the emergency department of Counties Manukau for non-urgent conditions

Abstract

Aim: To determine Pacific patients' reasons for Emergency Department (ED) use for non-urgent conditions by Pacific people at Counties Manukau Health.

Methods: Patients who self-presented to Counties Manukau ED with a non-urgent condition in June 2019 were surveyed. Responses to open-ended questions were analysed using a general inductive approach, in discussion with key stakeholders.

Results: Of 353 participants with ethnicity reported, 139 (39%) were Pacific, 66 (19%) Māori and 148 (42%) were non-Māori non-Pacific, nMnP. A total of 58 (42%) of Pacific participants had been to their general practitioner prior to presenting to the ED; this proportion was similar for Māori (19 [30%]) and nMnP (59 [40%]) (p=0.215). The most common reasons for ED attendance among Pacific (as well as other) participants were 1) advice by a health professional (41%, 95% CI 33-50%), 2) usual care unavailable (28%, 20-36%), 3) symptoms not improving (21%, 14-28%), and 4) symptoms too severe to be managed elsewhere (19%, 12-26%).

Conclusions: Multiple reasons underlie non-urgent use of EDs by Pacific and other ethnic groups. These reasons need to be considered simultaneously in the design, implementation, and evaluation of multi-dimensional initiatives that discourage non-urgent use of EDs to ensure that such initiatives are effective, equitable, and unintended consequences are avoided.