An overview of current practices regarding the referral of patients to the general healthcare system following care provided at an emergency department

Introduction - The mission of healthcare access centers (PASS) is to provide outpatient care to individuals who lack access to such services and to address their challenges in accessing their rights, so that they can ultimately access the general primary care system. Our objective was to assess current practices at PASS centers regarding the referral of patients who have obtained full health coverage to the standard healthcare system. Materials and Methods - This cross-sectional observational study was conducted as part of the PASS-Multi Healthcare System Performance Research Program. Questionnaires were sent to 274 of the 410 PASS centers in France. Data collection took place from June to October 2020. Results - There is significant diversity in the staff dedicated to organizing the PASS. One-third of the PASS are never informed of their patients’ newly acquired rights, and the referral of patients who have obtained health coverage to the general healthcare system is systematic in only 33% of the PASS. Although rarely implemented, the existence of a formalized outpatient patient support procedure allows for a more systematic understanding of patients’ newly acquired rights and optimized referral to community care. A more thorough assessment of the patient’s successful integration into the general healthcare system is necessary given the high number of patients returning to the PASS. Strengthening collaboration with community healthcare providers could help anticipate the next steps in patient care. Conclusion - There is significant variation in practices regarding the referral of patients to the general healthcare system upon discharge from the PASS program. Streamlining discharge procedures appears necessary to enable more efficient patient integration.

Author(s): Khouani Jérémy, Bertrand Christophe, Launay Eugénie, Jégo Maeva, Auquier Pascal, Tabélé Clémence

Publishing year: 2022

Pages: 10-21

Weekly Epidemiological Bulletin, 2022, n° 1, p. 10-21

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