Failure to follow up with GP after discharge from the ED

“Factors associated with failure to follow up with a general practitioner after discharge from the emergency department” by Qureshi et al, has been published in Emergency Medicine Australasia.  The authors conducted a GP follow-up study using a prospective cohort of adult patients discharged from the ED who were requested to see their GP to complete their medical care. They found that participants who were aware of the reason why they were supposed to follow up with a GP, who had health insurance or had a regular GP were more likely to comply with the request to follow up, and suggest good patient communication is important for successful follow up, and that alternative avenues for completion of management need to be explored for patients without health insurance or a regular GP.  

Emergency Medicine Australasia, 1742-6723. doi: 10.1111/j.1742-6723.2012.01610.x – Contact your health library for the full text of the article.