WORLD JOURNAL OF ADVANCE
HEALTHCARE RESEARCH

Omar A. Daham Al Hamdani*

ABSTRACT

Background: The increase in the demand of emergency services (ES) is considered an international problem.Emergency services which are provided to users with non-urgent clinical conditions; characterizes theinappropriate use of urgency/emergency services. Objectives: The study aims to analyse factors associated withinappropriate use of emergency services and to build a corner stone for future fighting these phenomena at ourhealth care system. Methods: A retrospective cross sectional study, the patients case sheets were reviewed toacquire the mandatory information. The Questionnaire was composed of three parts, the first includeddemographic information of the patients, the second covered patient specific condition and third part foradmission details. Results: The study included 200 subjects, median (Interquartile range) age of 2.5 years (8months to 9 years), with 125 (62.5%) males and 75 (37.5%) females. Inappropriate ER visit was found in 118(59%) of reviewed encounters.The majority of these visits were including complaint of gastroenteritis in 43(36.5%), followed by fever in 38 (32.2%), Frequency of other presentations and systems involved are shown intable 1. The most likely system involved was gastrointestinal in 51 (43.2%) followed by infectious causes in 41(34.7%).The study illustrates many factors related to inappropriate ER, these factors are; the median age of patient(more among older children), educational levels of parents being illiterate level, timing of visits at outside ofworking hours and on days off, self-referral. Conclusion: The health system of Iraq in general and of Mosul inspecific needs a lot of bases to control inappriate use of emergency services, better educational session for theIraqi families about the appropriate sevices should given and implamenting of referral practices. The direrctorateof health should pay attention for strict admission criteria and give more payment for medical staffs who work atextra working hours.

[Full Text Article] [Download Certificate]