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You are here: Home Reports & data Primary health care Use of emergency departments for lower urgency care: 2015–16 to 2018–19
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Use of emergency departments for lower urgency care: 2015–16 to 2018–19

Web report
Last updated: 02 Jul 2020
Author: AIHW
Media release

Citation

AIHW

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2020. Use of emergency departments for lower urgency care: 2015–16 to 2018–19. Cat. no. PHC 3. Canberra: AIHW. Viewed 23 January 2021, https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/primary-health-care/use-of-ed-for-lower-urgency-care-2018-19

APA

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2020). Use of emergency departments for lower urgency care: 2015–16 to 2018–19. Retrieved from https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/primary-health-care/use-of-ed-for-lower-urgency-care-2018-19

MLA

Use of emergency departments for lower urgency care: 2015–16 to 2018–19. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 02 July 2020, https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/primary-health-care/use-of-ed-for-lower-urgency-care-2018-19

Vancouver

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Use of emergency departments for lower urgency care: 2015–16 to 2018–19 [Internet]. Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2020 [cited 2021 Jan. 23]. Available from: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/primary-health-care/use-of-ed-for-lower-urgency-care-2018-19

Harvard

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) 2020, Use of emergency departments for lower urgency care: 2015–16 to 2018–19, viewed 23 January 2021, https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/primary-health-care/use-of-ed-for-lower-urgency-care-2018-19

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More than one-third of presentations to hospital emergency departments (EDs) are for lower urgency care, some of which may be managed more appropriately by health services in the community. In 2018−19, use of EDs for lower urgency care varied across Australia—ranging from 53 presentations per 1,000 people in Darling Downs and West Moreton Primary Health Network (PHN) area (Qld), to 333 per 1,000 people in Western NSW PHN area.

COVID-19

This covers data up to 30 June 2019, as such this data precedes COVID-19.

  • Cat. no: PHC 3
Findings from this report:
  • 45% of all lower urgency ED presentations were for people aged under 25

  • People in regional PHN areas continue to receive lower urgency ED care more than people in metropolitan PHN areas

  • Just under half of all lower urgency ED presentations were after-hours (47%)

  • 1 in 3 ED presentations (35%, or 2.9 million) were classified as lower urgency in 2018−19, down from 38% in 2015–16

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  • Contents
    • Lower urgency care
      • Summary
      • Geographic variation
      • Why do people visit EDs instead of GPs?
    • Triage category 4 and 5
    • Technical note
    • Glossary
  • Data
  • Related material

Technical note

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Last updated 11/06/2020 v2.0

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