Demographic Patient Study - Non-life-threatening Conditions. V1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Demographic study of patients attending with non-immediately life-threatening conditions in a UK Accident and Emergency Department
IRAS ID
182971
Contact name
Owen Miller
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
The University of Sheffield
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 4 months, 1 days
Research summary
Much of the media coverage surrounding this winter’s A&E crisis (2014) and subsequent Department of Health and NHS England public information material has included criticism of those who attend A&E for non-urgent conditions. These “Inappropriate Attenders” have received much academic and political interest as a way to alleviate the strains on the NHS Urgent Care system, which has seen unprecedented demand forecast only to worsen in future years. However, current UK literature focuses primarily on quantitative research into the typical socioeconomic attributes of this group in an attempt to target resources towards them. Little applicable literature exists looking at more qualitative ideas of rationality and the conscious decision-making of these non-urgent patients. There is also a significant time gap in the most applicable research of over 10 years, in which time changes in the system have occurred. This research will look to corroborate socioeconomic traits alongside a more detailed understanding of their attendance, primarily through a hospital based questionnaire administered within an NHS Emergency Department. It is through better understanding of the issue that a single question may better be understood: what is inappropriate; the patients themselves, or the system they are supposedly misusing?
REC name
East of Scotland Research Ethics Service REC 2
REC reference
15/ES/0133
Date of REC Opinion
20 Oct 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion