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Operations & systems
Redirecting non-urgent patients to primary care looks safe
The Safety and Interventions for Redirecting Non‐Urgent Patients From Emergency Departments to Primary Care Services: A Scoping Review
Emergency Medicine Australasia · 2026-10 · Added 10 October 2026
A scoping review of nine studies found redirecting non-urgent ED patients to primary care appeared safe — 9.7% return rate, 1.7% hospitalisation and 0.07% mortality — with triage, vital signs and documentation the commonest safeguards.
- Study type
- Systematic review
- Design
- Scoping review
- Participants
- 9 studies (8 observational, 1 RCT)
- Main finding
- Return rate 9.7%, hospitalisation 1.7%, mortality 0.07%; studies reporting zero hospitalisations and deaths used the richest set of implementation components around triage and documentation
- Caveat
- Scoping review of mostly observational studies with heterogeneous redirection models and short follow-up
- Bottom line
- Supports current practice
Why it matters in Australia (High relevance). Published in an Australasian journal and directly relevant to the referral and alternate-pathway models Australian ambulances are expanding into.
Learning goal
Understand how triage safeguards and documentation support safe redirection of non-urgent patients to primary care.
More
- Topic: Operations & systems
- Daily scan: 10 October 2026
- Podcast: Paramedic Papers Daily, 10 October 2026
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