Impact of Primary Care Visit Frequency on Non-Urgent Emergency Department Visits in a Large Urban Medical Center

Journal of Primary Care & Community Health 2026 Open access

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Authors: Akhil Chandekar, Olutola Akande, Christian Makar, Kyrillos Grace, Suha Abduselam, Omotoluwafe Balogun, Marisa Nwoke, Chika Okeke, Meron Yakob Gebreyes, Joni Ricks-Oddie, Soheil Sadaat, Bharath Chakravarthy
+1 more Candice Taylor Lucas
DOI: 10.1177/21501319261420566
Cited by: 2
References: 28

Abstract

PURPOSE: To examine whether primary care visit frequency (PVF) is associated with non-urgent emergency department visits (NU-EDVs) at a large urban medical center, and to identify determinants of higher PVF among Emergency Department patients. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of adult ED patients (ESI ≥4 considered NU-EDV) at a Southern California Level I trauma center (September 2021-April 2024). Undergraduate research associates administered a 29-item instrument capturing demographics, utilization, barriers, trust in primary care, and comorbidities. Bivariate tests and multivariable logistic regression estimated adjusted odds ratios (aOR) for NU-EDV and for PVF ≥3 visits/year. RESULTS: Among 964 patients with a primary care provider, 62.9% reported

Fields of Study & Subjects

Emergency and Acute Care Studies Primary Care and Health Outcomes Chronic Disease Management Strategies

Publication details

Journal / source
Journal of Primary Care & Community Health
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Volume
17
Pages
21501319261420566–21501319261420566
Publication date
1 January 2026
Language
EN