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Volume: 6 | Issue: 1 | Published: Oct 31, 2025 | Pages: S24 - S24 | DOI: 10.24911/SJEMed.72-1744162272

The prevalence and determinants of non-urgent visits to the Emergency Department in Madinah, Saudi Arabia

Authors: Husain B. Alhabuobi , Raed Jannadi , Mohammed D. Alhejaili , Ahmed A. Badi , Nawaf H. Alharbi , Taha I. Khayat , Mohammed K. Turkistani , Ibrahim A. Tawfiq , Othman Z. Alhejeely

Abstract

Background: Non-urgent patients' visits to emergency department (ED) is a global concern. In-appropriate ED visits places burden on the ED which limits emergency conditions handling, access to good quality services, raises health care costs and compromise patients' satisfaction. Objective: We aimed to assess prevalence of non-urgent visits to the ED in two main public hos-pitals in Madinah Region namely king Fahad Hospital (KFH) and Madinah General Hospital (MGH). Furthermore, determinants of non-urgent ED visits, such as sociodemographic factors and patients' knowledge on ED were evaluated. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 280 ED patients attending KFH and MGH. Patients were classified into urgent and non-urgent ED cases according to the Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (CTAS). Data were collected through a structured interview-based questionnaire covering sociodemographic characteristics, level of triage, knowledge, and preference of ED as well as reasons for ED preference. Results: The overall rate of non-urgent visits to the ED was 55%. Non-urgent visits were signifi-cantly higher among younger age group ≤25 years (81%), singles (70.5%), students (77.6%) and Madinah residents (58.3%) (p

Keywords: Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (CTAS), Emergency department, non-urgent visits, Triage, Primary Health Care (PHC), patient preference, Saudi Arabia

Open access Creative Commons License

Pubmed Style

Husain B. Alhabuobi, Raed Jannadi, Mohammed D. Alhejaili, Ahmed A. Badi, Nawaf H. Alharbi, Taha I. Khayat, Mohammed K. Turkistani, Ibrahim A. Tawfiq, Othman Z. Alhejeely. The prevalence and determinants of non-urgent visits to the Emergency Department in Madinah, Saudi Arabia. SJE Med. 2025; 31 (October 2025): S24-S24. doi:10.24911/SJEMed.72-1744162272

Publication History

Received: April 10, 2025

Accepted: July 27, 2025

Published: October 31, 2025

Authors

Husain B. Alhabuobi

Internship Unit, College of Medicine, Taibah University, Madinah

Raed Jannadi

Department of Family Medicine and Community Medicine and Medical Education, College of Medicine, Taibah University, Madinah

Mohammed D. Alhejaili

Internship Unit, College of Medicine, Taibah University, Madinah

Ahmed A. Badi

Internship Unit, College of Medicine, Taibah University, Madinah

Nawaf H. Alharbi

Internship Unit, College of Medicine, Taibah University, Madinah

Taha I. Khayat

Internship Unit, College of Medicine, Taibah University, Madinah

Mohammed K. Turkistani

Internship Unit, College of Medicine, Taibah University, Madinah

Ibrahim A. Tawfiq

Internship Unit, College of Medicine, Taibah University, Madinah

Othman Z. Alhejeely

Emergency Department, Madinah General Hospital, King Salman Bin AbdulAziz Medical City, Madinah