Characteristics of non-urgent patients

Figures & data

Figure 1.  Flow chart of the study patients.

Table I.  Sociodemographic characteristics of the study participants.

	Primary healthcare			Emergency department
	n = 542	%	95% CI	n = 194	%	95% CI
Gender^1
Male	193	36	(32–40)	92	49	(42–57)
Female	340	64	(60–68)	95	51	(44–59)
Missing^2	9			7
Age group (years)
20–34	122	23	(19–27)	44	24	(18–30)
35–49	179	34	(30–38)	59	32	(25–39)
50–64	122	23	(19–27)	45	24	(18–30)
65–80	111	21	(18–24)	39	21	(15–27)
Missing^2	8			7
Highest completed education
Compulsory school	74	14	(11–17)	29	16	(11–22)
Secondary school, high school	246	46	(42–56)	95	51	(44–59)
University	208	39	(35–43)	61	33	(26–40)
Education not specified	3	1	(0–2)	2	1	(0–3)
Missing^2	11			7
Country of birth^3
Sweden	453	85	(82–88)	159	86	(81–91)
Other Nordic countries	29	5	(1–7)	11	6	(3–10)
Rest of Europe	26	5	(1–7)	6	3	(1–6)
Other	24	5	(1–7)	10	5	(2–9)
Missing^2	10			8
Residency in Sweden
Whole life	418	80	(77–84)	146	79	(73–85)
Parts of life	102	20	(17–24)	38	21	(15–27)
Missing^2	22			10
Parents’ country of birth
Sweden	413	86	(83–89)	145	78	(72–84)
Other Nordic countries	5	1	(0–2)	21	11	(6–16)
Rest of Europe	32	7	(5–9)	10	5	(2–9)
Other	28	6	(4–8)	10	5	(2–9)
Missing^2	64			8
Married or cohabiting
Yes	355	67	(63–71)	111	59	(52–67)
No	177	33	(29–37)	76	41	(34–49)
Missing^2	10			7
Children
Yes	384	72	(68–76)	122	66	(59–73)
No	148	28	(24–32)	64	34	(27–41)
Missing^2	10			8
Employment status
Employed ≥75%	341	65	(61–69)	122	64	(57–72)
Employed 25–74%	19	4	(2–6)	10	5	(2–8)
Employed < 25%^4	13	3	(2–5)	3	2	(0–5)
Disability pension	43	8	(6–11)	19	10	(6–15)
Retired	113	21	(18–25)	36	19	(14–25)
Missing^2	13			4

Notes: ¹The proportion of men in the county of Stockholm was 49% in 2002. ² Patients with missing values were excluded from the analysis. ³The proportion of foreign citizens in the county of Stockholm was 9.2% in 2002. ⁴The unemployment rate in the county of Stockholm was 3.3% in 2002. Inadequacy in percentages is due to rounding.

Table II.  Symptoms and signs at presentation.

	Primary healthcare			Emergency department
	n = 542	%	95% CI	n = 194	%	95%CI
Organ system^1
Respiratory	254	47	(43–51)	10	5	(2–9)
Circulatory	15	3	(1–5)	25	13	(8–18)
Digestive	28	5	(3–7)	45	23	(17–29)
Genital and urinary tract	46	9	(7–12)	17	9	(5–13)
Skin	37	7	(5–9)	4	2	(0–5)
Muscle and skeletal	72	13	(10–16)	39	20	(14–26)
Trauma	25	5	(3–7)	36	19	(13–25)
Miscellaneous	65	12	(9–15)	18	9	(5–13)
Duration of symptoms
One day or less	98	18	(15–21)	83	43	(36–58)
One week or less	222	41	(37–45)	76	39	(32–46)
> One week	218	40	(36–44)	35	18	(12–24)
Missing^2	4			0

Notes: ¹ICD–10, International Classification of Diseases, Tenth revision. ²Patients with missing values were excluded from the analysis. Inadequacy in percentages is due to rounding.