Nearly half of Coloradans said their last emergency department visit was for a condition that could have been treated by a regular physician if one had been available, according to the 2011 Colorado Health Access Survey (pdf).
The survey was conducted by the Colorado Health Institute for The Colorado Trust, a foundation dedicated to achieving access to health for all Coloradans. The survey includes responses from approximately 10,000 Coloradans.
Of those who reported their last ED visit could have been treated by a regular physician, the top three reasons were the need for care after normal physician or clinic office hours (79.2 percent), the inability to secure a physician's appointment as soon as it was needed (63.3 percent) and the convenience of the ED (45 percent).
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The survey was conducted by the Colorado Health Institute for The Colorado Trust, a foundation dedicated to achieving access to health for all Coloradans. The survey includes responses from approximately 10,000 Coloradans.
Of those who reported their last ED visit could have been treated by a regular physician, the top three reasons were the need for care after normal physician or clinic office hours (79.2 percent), the inability to secure a physician's appointment as soon as it was needed (63.3 percent) and the convenience of the ED (45 percent).
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