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Using information from the U.K.'s National Health Service system, investigators evaluated the impact of access to primary care on rates of emergency department (ED) visits and short hospitalizations (<2 days) for children <15 years of age. Patient's ability to schedule an appointment with his or her general practitioner was divided into six groups, ranging from <75% to >95% of the time.
Between 2011 and 2012, roughly 9.5 million children registered in 8000 practices made 3 million ED visits, of which 57% were outside of general practitioner hours. Children in the highest category of general practitioner access had a 9% lower adjusted rate of ED visits than those in the lowest (relative risk, 0.91). Affluent patients and those living in rural…