Non-urgent patients in emergency departments: Prioritisation, orientation, and selection through the prism of social sciences

Abstract

Emergency departments overcrowding is often attributed to inappropriate use by patients who ought to be treated in primary care. This article challenges this assertion by examining the articulation of medical and social definitions of non-urgent patients within medical and sociological literature, and how they translate into prioritisation, selection and triage criteria. It shows that triage practices, which are necessary for prioritising life-threatening emergencies are not only based on clinical criteria, but also incorporate moral and social considerations which can lead to discrimination and hinder equitable access to care, particularly for the most vulnerable patients.