Utilization of emergency care in northwestern Germany: Differences according to age, sex, education, and medical–nursing staff

Abstract

Background: Lack of knowledge about emergency care responsibilities leads to a higher demand for emergency resources. This study aims to explore whether emergency utilization and behavior can be differentiated according to sociodemographic factors. Methods: An anonymous, written survey of more than 4000 visitors of the vaccination center of Oldenburg was conducted from January–July 2021. The questionnaire included general questions on the use of emergency care as well as questions on self-assessment of the participant’s behavior in emergencies and a question on the phone number of the medical on-call service. Age, gender, and highest school degree were also surveyed. Due to special vaccination days for medical–nursing staff, it was possible to consider this sample separately. Results: Female respondents had more frequent contact with the medical on-call service (19.6% and 15.6%, respectively), and younger respondents were more likely to visit the emergency department on their own initiative (72.1% and 13.2%, respectively). About 10% of respondents with higher school education and 25% of respondents with lower school education would first contact their primary care physician for stroke symptoms. The number of the medical on-call service could be correctly named by 54.7% of the medical–nursing staff. In case of emergency, 76.4% of all respondents could imagine an initial medical consultation by phone or video. Conclusion: Sociodemographic factors impact emergency resource utilization. Awareness campaigns, early knowledge transfer, a common emergency guidance system, and telemedicine consultation for low-threshold missions could help relieve the burden on the health care system.