Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.
The number of patients leaving emergency departments before treatment is on the rise in Quebec, according to the results of a study by the Montreal Economic Institute (MEI) published Thursday.
In 2023-2024, over a period of approximately 11 months, 3.2 million patients visited Quebec’s emergency departments, and 11.5% of them, or 376,460 people, left before receiving medical treatment.
For comparison, in 2018-2019 it was a little more than 10%, or 378,348 patients out of a total of 3.7 million visits.
“One out of every two people waits more than five hours in the emergency department in Quebec. It is not surprising that many will leave,” said study author Emmanuel B. Fauver.
Patients who are referred to another professional who can meet their needs are not included in this data, as they are considered patients.
“This is still an increase because the study period in 2023-2024 is 11 months. So we see that in 11 months (…) we basically have the same number of patients who left the emergency room before treatment compared to (a period of) one year five years ago years,” Fauver said. “It’s still a problem, considering the increased budgets we put into health and all the reforms we make every year.”
It is particularly concerned about the 103,715 patients in categories P1, P2 and P3, which correspond to the most urgent cases. According to data received from the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux, 25.3 percent of Priority 3 patients left the emergency department before receiving medical treatment, 2.2 percent of P2 patients and 0.03 percent of P1 patients.
The proportion of P1 to P3 patients who left the emergency room because they did not consult a professional available to treat them increased from 21.9 percent in 2018-2019 to 27.5 percent in 2023-2024.
“It’s a big problem because it shows that our health system is not able to take care of the people of Quebec. And it’s dangerous when you consider that the population is aging and the needs are increasing,” Fauver said.
In less urgent cases (P4 and P5), over 70% of patients decided to leave the emergency room without treatment.
“People who are not (urgent cases) don’t go (to the ER) for a walk in the park. They go there because they need help, they need care, whether it’s urgent or not. They go there because they can’t find a better option elsewhere because we have a problem of access to the front line,” said the economist.
She stated that the patient who leaves without treatment risks worsening his condition and returning to the ER as a more complex case.
Nurse Practitioner (SNP) clinics can be part of the solution, according to Fauver. There are 11 in the province, and the number is expected to double by 2028, but the economist believes more should be deployed, faster.
She also described as “excellent news” the expansion of testing to other health care professionals, including pharmacists and nurses, included in recently passed Bill 67.
“This is a step in the right direction,” she says.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on June 20, 2024.
Canadian Press health content is funded through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. The Canadian Press is solely responsible for editorial choices.
(Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
source link https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/number-of-patients-leaving-quebec-emergency-departments-before-being-seen-on-the-rise-1.6934025
