Why do patients who are triaged as low-acuity visit the emergency department? – A Polish perspective

Emergency departments (EDs) worldwide are dealing with overcrowding, system fragmentation, and coordination problems, which impact patient wait times, staff job satisfaction, and patient outcomes. Inappropriate ED visits, particularly those for low acuity conditions, exacerbate these challenges. However, the motivations behind these visits are poorly understood, with limited data from the patient perspective. This study investigated patient-reported motives behind ED visits triaged as low acuity in Poznan, Poland, to propose health care system flow enhancements.