Importance of day of the week in after-hours consultations in the Barreiro and Quinta da Lomba Health Centres: Clues for predicting use

Abstract

Objectives: To analyze the association between temporal factors and after-hours care of the Barreiro and Quinta da Lomba Primary Care Centers. Design: Observational, cross-sectional, analytic study Setting: Performed at the Barreiro and Quinta da Lomba Primary Care Centers. Population: Patients that used the after-hours care during 2007. Methods: The number of emergency department visits during 2007 was considered the outcome variable while the month, day of the week, holydays, presence of a holyday in the previous day, presence of a holyday in the following day and work tolerance were considered as independent variables. Independent and outcome variables associations were determined with the Poisson regression model. Results: A significant association was found between the outcome variable and all the independent variables. More visits are expected at Monday than in any other day being Sunday the day with the lowest number of visits. Holydays reduced the number of after-hours consultation, making it similar to Sundays. In the days that followed a holyday there was a tendency for more after-hours visits, especially if there was a prolonged weekend possibility. The opposite was true in those days that preceded these events. Conclusions: After-hours care is influenced by temporal factors. This knowledge can be useful in forecasting the number of after-hours consultations, allowing a more rational distribution of resources.