Evaluation of Children’s Usage of Emergency Departments in Turkey

Abstract

Emergency Departments (EDs) provide immediate and emergency care for patients with life-threatening medical conditions, trauma or injuries – they should not treat minor illnesses or provide primary care (Chamberlain & Carraccio, 1994; Chande et al., 1996; Liu et al., 1999). However, the American College of Emergency Physicians (1990) stated that increasing visits with medically non-urgent conditions is something which greatly concerns healthcare professionals and administrators because of the medical and economic implications.