Table 1 Baseline characteristics
N = 286 | Median (IQR) or n (%) |
|---|---|
Demographics | Â |
Age | 65 (IQR 52–75) |
Female | 163 (43.0%) |
Pre-referral phase | Â |
Duration of complaints (days) | 6 (IQR 2–10) |
 ≤ 1 day | 36 (12.6%) |
 1–30 days | 222 (77.6%) |
 > 30 days | 28 (9.8%) |
1 or more contact with healthcare provider | 166 (58.0%) |
 Number of contacts (n = 164a) | 2 (IQR 1–3) |
Prescribed medication | 92 (32.2%) |
Referral phase | Â |
Part of the day of referring contact | Â |
 Day (8–17 h) | 255 (89.2%) |
 Evening (17–23 h) | 22 (7.7%) |
 Night (23–8 h) | 9 (3.1%) |
GP referral | 230 (80.4%) |
EMS transportation | 96 (33.6%) |
Patient journey | Â |
 GP referral + own transportation | 148 (51.7%) |
 GP referral + EMS transportation | 82 (28.7%) |
 Self-referral + own transportation | 42 (14.7%) |
 Calling 112 + EMS transportation | 14 (4.9%) |
Hospital phase | Â |
Referred specialty | Â |
 Pulmonology | 101 (35.3%) |
 Internal medicine* + Gastroenterology | 99 (34.6%) |
 Surgery + orthopaedics** | 56 (19.6%) |
 Other | 30 (10.5%) |
Presenting complaints | Â |
 Dyspnoea | 109 (38.1%) |
 Abdominal pain | 96 (33.6%) |
 General malaise | 32 (11.2%) |
 Other | 49 (17.1%) |
Diagnosed with COVID-19 | 47 (17.1%) |
ED triage urgency (n = 278b) |  |
 Red | 1 (0.4%) |
 Orange | 72 (25.9%) |
 Yellow | 133 (47.8%) |
 Green | 72 (25.9%) |
 Blue | 0 |
Highly urgent (red/orange) | 73 (26.3%) |
Highly urgent + EMS transportation | 38 (52.1%) |
 Urgent (yellow/green/blue) | 205 (73.7%) |
 Urgent + EMS transportation | 57 (27.8%) |