Outcomes of Establishing an Urgent Care Centre in the Same Location as an Emergency Department

Annelie Raidla, Katrin Darro, Tobias Carlson, Amir Khorram-Manesh, Johan Berlin and Eric Carlström
Additional contact information
Annelie Raidla: Emergency Department at Östra Hospital, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 413 90 Gothenburg, Sweden
Katrin Darro: Emergency Department at Östra Hospital, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 413 90 Gothenburg, Sweden
Tobias Carlson: Gothenburg Emergency Research Group (GEMREG), Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 413 90 Gothenburg, Sweden
Amir Khorram-Manesh: Gothenburg Emergency Research Group (GEMREG), Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 413 90 Gothenburg, Sweden
Johan Berlin: Department of Social and Behavioral Studies, University West, 461 86 Trollhättan, Sweden
Eric Carlström: Gothenburg Emergency Research Group (GEMREG), Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 413 90 Gothenburg, Sweden

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 19, 1-8

Abstract: The emergency department (ED) is one of the busiest facilities in a hospital, and it is frequently described as a bottleneck that limits space and structures, jeopardising surge capacity during Major Incidents and Disasters (MIDs) and pandemics such as the COVID 19 outbreak. One remedy to facilitate surge capacity is to establish an Urgent Care Centre (UCC), i.e., a secondary ED, co-located and in close collaboration with an ED. This study investigates the outcome of treatment in an ED versus a UCC in terms of length of stay (LOS), time to physician (TTP) and use of medical services. If it was possible to make these parameters equal to or even less than the ED, UCCs could be used as supplementary units to the ED, improving sustainability. The results show reduced waiting times at the UCC, both in terms of TTP and LOS. In conclusion, creating a primary care-like facility in close proximity to the hospitals may not only relieve overcrowding of the hospital’s ED in peacetime, but it may also provide an opportunity for use during MIDs and pandemics to facilitate the victims of the incident and society as a whole.

Keywords: urgent care centre; emergency department; length of stay; surge capacity; Sweden (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:19:p:8190-:d:423727

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