Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25742695›Full record

ArticleFamily practice2015

Estimating the burden of minor ailment consultations in general practices and emergency departments through retrospective review of routine data in North East Scotland.

Shona Fielding, Terry Porteous, James Ferguson, Vivienne Maskrey, Annie Blyth, Vibhu Paudyal, Garry Barton, Richard Holland, Christine M Bond, Margaret C Watson

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Family practice, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 44 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
44citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

44 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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  15. Young adults' healthcare utilisation and healthcare needs: Perceptions and experiences of healthcare providers.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2022
    Article
  16. Review
  17. Understanding young adults' reasons for seeking 'clinically unnecessary' urgent and emergency care: A qualitative interview study.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2021
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  20. Observational
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Shona FieldingMedical Statistics Team and.
Terry PorteousAcademic Primary Care, Division of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Polwarth Building, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD.
James FergusonAccident and Emergency Department, NHS Grampian, Foresterhill, Aberdeen AB25 2ZN and.
Vivienne MaskreyDepartment of Population Health and Primary Care, Norwich Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK.
Annie BlythDepartment of Population Health and Primary Care, Norwich Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK.
Vibhu PaudyalAcademic Primary Care, Division of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Polwarth Building, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD.
Garry BartonDepartment of Population Health and Primary Care, Norwich Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK.
Richard HollandDepartment of Population Health and Primary Care, Norwich Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK.
Christine M BondAcademic Primary Care, Division of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Polwarth Building, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD.
Margaret C WatsonAcademic Primary Care, Division of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Polwarth Building, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, m.c.watson@abdn.ac.uk.

Funding

Chief Scientist Office HSRU2
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMinor ailment attendances in general practices and emergency departments (EDs) place significant burden on health care resources.

objectivesTo estimate the prevalence and type of minor ailment consultations for adults in general practice and ED that could be managed in a community pharmacy.

methodsRetrospective review of routine data from general practices (n = 2) and one ED in North East Scotland. Two independent consensus panels assessed each consultation summary to determine whether it represented a minor ailment. Outcomes included prevalence of consultations for minor ailments in general practice and ED and frequency of different minor ailment type that could be managed in community pharmacies.

resultsIn total, of the 494 general practice and 550 ED consultations assessed, 13.2% [95% confidence interval (CI): 18.6-25.9%] and 5.3% (95% CI: 4.0-8.0%), respectively, were categorized as minor ailments suitable for management in community pharmacies. Consensus among panel members was moderate for general practice consultations, but fair to poor for ED consultations. Agreement between uni- and multi-disciplinary panels was good. Applied to national data, these estimates would equate to ~18 million general practice and 6500000 ED consultations that could be redirected to community pharmacy, equating to ~£1.1 billion in resources.

conclusionMinor ailment consultations still present a major burden on higher cost settings. Effective strategies are needed to raise awareness among patients and health professionals regarding conditions that can be managed effectively in pharmacies and to change patient health-seeking behaviour for such conditions.

Indexed as

Health Care CostsSeverity of Illness IndexAdolescentAdultAgedChildChild, PreschoolEmergency Service, HospitalFemaleGeneral PracticeHealth Services MisuseHumansInfantInfant, NewbornMaleMedical AuditCommunity pharmacy servicesconsensusemergency departmentsgeneral practice.

Identifiers

PMID25742695
PMCPMC4371893

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.