Which family practice patients visit the emergency department?

The patients of a community health centre who visited a hospital emergency department were compared with a random sample of the patients who visited the health centre during the same four months. Visiting rate to the emergency department was higher for teenagers and patients over 60. Emergency department visitors were more frequent users of health care, both at the health centre and in the emergency department. No differences were found between the two groups concerning sex, length of time as a patient, continuity of care, and distance of home from hospital or health centre.