Describing the patient trajectory for unplanned care in a region of Flanders, Belgium: A prospective observational study
- 1Department of Emergency Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, Gent, Belgium
- 2Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- 3Directieteam ICHO (Interuniversitair Centrum voor HuisartsOpleiding), Leuven, Belgium
Abstract
Background: Demand for unplanned care in Belgium is high, placing pressure on both out-of-hours primary care facilities (OOHPCF) and emergency departments (ED). Understanding patient trajectories may help optimise care pathways and resource planning for planned and unplanned care.
Objective: To describe patient presentations and trajectories at OOHPCF and EDs in a region of Flanders, Belgium.
Methods: Data were collected in six EDs and three OOHPCF in the greater {redacted} region. All consultations were recorded during three randomly selected days in EDs and one full week in OOHPCF in 2024.
Results: A total of 1,469 ED and 857 OOHPCF consultations were analysed. In EDs, trauma was the most common presentation (32%), followed by ear, nose and throat (ENT) and dermatology conditions (22%). In OOHPCF, trauma and orthopaedic problems accounted for 20% of consultations, followed by ENT (17%) and dermatology (14%). Most ED patients (71%) were discharged home. Self-referral accounted for 65% of ED visits; these patients were generally younger and presented with lower-acuity conditions. One in five patients had consulted another healthcare provider within the previous week. Pain and worry were the main drivers for attendance. Attending clinicians in both settings considered up to one-third of consultations manageable in planned care.
Conclusion: Rather than restricting access or apportioning blame to patients, our findings indicate the need to reassess measures throughout planned and unplanned care pathways for timely access to the most appropriate care setting while maintaining patient safety and equitable access to services.
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BibTeX
@article{voorde2026describing,
title = {{Describing the patient trajectory for unplanned care in a region of Flanders, Belgium: A prospective observational study}},
author = {Patrick Van de Voorde and Oliver Van Hecke and Femke Wauters and Eva De Leeuw and Janique Lobbestael and Sara Willems},
journal = {The European Journal of General Practice},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1080/13814788.2026.2745925},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1080/13814788.2026.2745925},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Describing the patient trajectory for unplanned care in a region of Flanders, Belgium: A prospective observational study
AU - Patrick Van de Voorde
AU - Oliver Van Hecke
AU - Femke Wauters
AU - Eva De Leeuw
AU - Janique Lobbestael
AU - Sara Willems
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/26
JO - The European Journal of General Practice
DO - 10.1080/13814788.2026.2745925
UR - https://doi.org/10.1080/13814788.2026.2745925
AB - Background: Demand for unplanned care in Belgium is high, placing pressure on both out-of-hours primary care facilities (OOHPCF) and emergency departments (ED). Understanding patient trajectories may help optimise care pathways and resource planning for planned and unplanned care. Objective: To describe patient presentations and trajectories at OOHPCF and EDs in a region of Flanders, Belgium. Methods: Data were collected in six EDs and three OOHPCF in the greater {redacted} region. All consultations were recorded during three randomly selected days in EDs and one full week in OOHPCF in 2024. Results: A total of 1,469 ED and 857 OOHPCF consultations were analysed. In EDs, trauma was the most common presentation (32%), followed by ear, nose and throat (ENT) and dermatology conditions (22%). In OOHPCF, trauma and orthopaedic problems accounted for 20% of consultations, followed by ENT (17%) and dermatology (14%). Most ED patients (71%) were discharged home. Self-referral accounted for 65% of ED visits; these patients were generally younger and presented with lower-acuity conditions. One in five patients had consulted another healthcare provider within the previous week. Pain and worry were the main drivers for attendance. Attending clinicians in both settings considered up to one-third of consultations manageable in planned care. Conclusion: Rather than restricting access or apportioning blame to patients, our findings indicate the need to reassess measures throughout planned and unplanned care pathways for timely access to the most appropriate care setting while maintaining patient safety and equitable access to services.
SN - 1381-4788
SN - 1751-1402
ER -