Objective: The aim of this study was to provide insights using available system-level primary urgent care centre (PUCC) data from 2020-2021 to explore the patient usage patterns of this unique, general medical practitioner service.
Methods: Analysis of de-identified patient data of 65,420 PUCC patient visits from 01 July 2020 to 30 June 2021, within a co-located general practice in Queensland, Australia. For comparisons of two groups (Indigenous vs. Non-Indigenous), a Mann-Whitney U test and Chi-Square test were used for analysing patients’ arrival time, reasons, and frequency of attendance.
Results: The proportion of Indigenous patients (9.8%) attending the PUCC was higher than the proportion of Indigenous people living in the general population (3.8%). Indigenous patients were more likely to be new patients to the general practice (13.6%) compared to non-Indigenous (9.6%). Indigenous people presented later in the day (11 am-12 pm / 2 pm-3 pm) with peak hours of attendance different from non-Indigenous (10 am-12 pm). The most common reason for PUCC visits for both patient groups was superficial injuries, such as wounds, abrasions, and minor fractures. The second most frequent cause for visits was different, with Indigenous patients accessing urgent care for digestive issues and non-Indigenous for musculoskeletal issues.
Conclusions: Indigenous patients accessed PUCC services more frequently, during different times of the day and for varied presenting health reasons, compared to non-Indigenous patients. Future models of PUCC should be strategically developed and utilised, in partnership with Indigenous communities, as an identification and return service to culturally appropriate and supportive general practice follow-up care.