To better understand the issue of inappropriate pediatric Emergency Department (ED) visits in Italy, including the impact of the last National Health System reform.
A retrospective cohort study was conducted with five health care providers in the Veneto region (Italy) in a 2‐year period (2010–2011). visits were considered “inappropriate” by evaluating both nursing triage and resource utilization, as addressed by the Italian Ministry of Health in 2007. Factors associated with inappropriate visits were identified. The cost of each visit was calculated.
In total, 134,358 visits with 455,650 performed procedures were recorded in the 2‐year period; of these, 76,680 (57.1 percent) were considered inappropriate visits. Patients likely to make inappropriate visits were younger, female, visiting the during night or holiday, when the primary care provider (PCP) is not available.
The National Health System reform aims to improve efficiency, effectiveness, and costs by opening offices 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. This study highlights the need for a deep reorganization of the Italian Primary Care System not only providing a larger time availability but also treating the parents' lack of education on children's health.
