Additional file 1

Title: Patient questionnaire

Description: Questionnaire used to assess the urgency of an ED visit and to explore factors associated or not with this assessment.

PATIENT QUESTIONNAIRE

Emergency Department: ______

1)  Date of visit : _____/____/______

2)  Day of the week: ………………………

3)  Time of arrival: ______: ______

CATEGORIZATION CONDUCTED BY THE TRIAGE NURSE

Immediately after the admittance

4)  Presenting complaint: ______

5)  Could this problem be taken care of by a primary care physician? q Yes q No

6)  Why? ______

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ED VISIT

7)  Patient’s complaint(s), symptom(s), or other reason(s) for this ED visit (Use patient’s own words) ______

8)  Mode of arrival:

q Ambulance q Public service (police, social service) q Own transport q Other: ______

9)  Who made the decision to come to the ED?

q  My general practitioner

q  Myself

q  A member of my family

q  My employer

q  Other ______

10)  How much time has passed since symptoms began and the decision to come to the ED?

q  One day

q  Less than a week

q  More than a week (note the period:______)

11)  Did you try to speak to a primary care provider before coming to the ED? q Yes q No

12)  What made you choose to come to the ED today? (multiple answers possible with ranking 1 to X):

q  My health problem require immediate attention

q  My health problem is too urgent to wait to see a primary care provider

q  My problem was too serious or to complex to see a primary care provider

q  My problem require x-rays, laboratory testing or treatment

q  I did not want my primary care provider to know about my health problem

q  I’m afraid

q  I'm in a hurry

q  My primary care provider was unavailable.

q  I need a medical certificate (administrative reasons)

q  It is easier for me to come to the ED

q  Not applicable (The patient does not choose to come)

q  Other ______(1 word).

13) Do you suffer from any chronic disease or condition? q Yes q No

14)  On an urgency scale from 1 to 20, how would you rate your current urgency?___/20

utilization of health care services

15)  Currently, did you have a primary care provider? q Yes q No

16) What do you do when you have health problems?

q  I usually see my primary care provider

q  I see other physician

q  I usually prefer self-medication without seeing the primary care

q  I prefer to come to the hospital

q  Other ______

17) In the past year, how many times have you consulted your primary care provider?

q None q 1 or 2 times q 3-5 times q more than 5 times

18) In the past year, how many times have you been treated at an ED?

q None q 1 or 2 times q 3-5 times q more than 5 times

PATIENT INFORMATION

19) Patient’s age: ______

20) Sex: q Male q Female

21) Employment status: q Employed q Unemployed

22) Currently, what is your primary medical insurance? / 23) What is your supplementary health insurance?
q  None / q  None
q  «Sécurité sociale» (French health insurance) / q  Private supplementary health insurance
q  CMU (French health insurance designed specifically to individuals and families with low incomes and resources) / q  Supplementary CMU (French supplementary health insurance designed specifically to individuals and families with low incomes and resources)

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