Patient Care Pathway and Factors Influencing Their Choice to Consult in the Emergency Department or an Out-of-Hours Care Service: A Comparative Study

It focuses on the patient care pathway and the factors influencing their choice to seek consultation in the Emergency Department or Out-of-Hours Care Service for issues that fall under general medicine. In France, emergency services are increasingly overcrowded, particularly with cases that should be handled by general practitioners. This strain on the healthcare system, caused by the saturation of emergency departments, has consequences on the quality of care for true emergencies. This study aims to better understand who these users are and why they choose the Emergency Department over other care options.

NCT Number	NCT07046754
Lead Sponsor	Centre Hospitalier de Martigues
Conditions	This Study is to Evaluate the Prevalence, Patients Consulting the Emergency Department for Reasons Relating to General Medicine
Enrollment	194 participants
Start Date	2025-01-15
Primary Completion	2026-05-20 (estimated)
Study Completion	2026-05-20 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-05-22