This web report explores trends in emergency department (ED) presentations in the lower urgency categories of the Australasian College of Emergency Medicine’s Australasian Triage Scale. It presents information from 2017–18 to 2022–23 by remoteness areas, socioeconomic areas, Primary Health Networks (PHNs) and Statistical Area Level 3 (SA3). Reasons people may present to the ED rather than a general practitioner are also explored.
- Cat. no: PHC 20
Key findings
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1 in 3 ED presentations (33% or 2.9 million) were classified as lower urgency in 2022–23
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People in Remote and very remote areas had higher rates of lower urgency care than those in Major cities in 2022–23
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People living in the most disadvantaged socioeconomic areas had higher rates of lower urgency ED presentations
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People in regional PHN areas had higher rates of lower urgency ED presentations than people in metropolitan PHN areas