Clinical and demographic characteristics of emergency department patients in The Netherlands: a review of the literature and a preliminary study.

A review of the literature and a preliminary study were carried out on demographic and clinical characteristics of patients who make use of emergency departments (EDs). The central concern was whether self-referred patients differ in these respects from patients who are not self-referred. Several studies were conducted to determine the characteristics of ED patients in general. Very little research exists on the characteristics of self-referred patients' use of EDs. The preliminary study indicates that self-referred ED patients with nontraumatic complaints differ from those referred by physicians, especially with regard to the urgency of their somatic conditions. More research, including psychiatric research, should be done to clarify the underlying motives of the distinct patient groups in their visits to EDs.