PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - D Gibney
AU  - A W Murphy
AU  - D Barton
AU  - C Byrne
AU  - M Smith
AU  - G Bury
AU  - E Mullan
AU  - P K Plunkett
TI  - Randomized controlled trial of general practitioner versus usual medical care in a suburban accident and emergency department using an informal triage system.
DP  - 1999 Jan 01
TA  - British Journal of General Practice
PG  - 43--44
VI  - 49
IP  - 438
4099  - http://bjgp.org/content/49/438/43.short
4100  - http://bjgp.org/content/49/438/43.full
SO  - Br J Gen Pract1999 Jan 01; 49
AB  - We determined if care provided by general practitioners (GPs) to non-emergency patients, in a suburban accident and emergency (A&E) department using an informal triage system, differs significantly from care provided by usual A&E staff. One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight patients participated. By comparison with usual A&E staff, GPs prescribed significantly more often (percentage relative difference [% RD] = 12 [95% confidence interval = 1-23]) and referred more patients to hospital (% RD = 21 [95% CI = 9-33]). This is the first study to report that sessional GPs working in an A&E department utilize similar or more resources than usual A&E staff. It emphasizes the need for the continued audit of initiatives that have been introduced into new settings.