This Study is to Evaluate the PrevalencePSP-FICUNCT07046754
Patient Care Pathway and Factors Influencing Their Choice to Consult in the Emergency Department or an Out-of-Hours Care Service: A Comparative Study
An observational study of This Study is to Evaluate the Prevalence and Patients Consulting the Emergency Department for Reasons Relating to General Medicine, run by Centre Hospitalier de Martigues at 2 sites in France.
Trial summary
It focuses on the patient care pathway and the factors influencing their choice to seek consultation in the Emergency Department or Out-of-Hours Care Service for issues that fall under general medicine. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- This Study is to Evaluate the Prevalence, Patients Consulting the Emergency Department for Reasons Relating to General Medicine
- What is being tested?
- type of consultation
- How many people
- 194 participants
- Where
- 2 sitesFrance
- Study dates
- 15 Jan 2025to 20 May 2026
- How long will I take part?
- 1 Day
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Study population: patients who consult the emergency room vs. permanent care in the city of Martigues
Who may be able to join
- Patients aged 18 and over.
- Patients who have given oral consent.
- Patients with rights covered by Social Security.
- Patients able to understand French.
Who cannot join
- Minor patient.
- Illiterate patient.
- Patients who do not have social security rights.
- Patient under guardianship or curatorship.
- Patient deprived of liberty.
- Patient under legal protection.
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- Patients admitted for consultation for the reasons below:
- Chest pain
- Limb fracture/deformity
- Major trauma
- Wound
- All vital emergencies: neurological, hemodynamic, respiratory.
Trial locations and contacts
2 sites in 1 country.
France2 sites
Centre Hospitalier de Martigues
Martigues, Bouches du Rhone, 13500
CH de Martigues
Martigues, Bouches du Rhone, 13500
About this study
It focuses on the patient care pathway and the factors influencing their choice to seek consultation in the Emergency Department or Out-of-Hours Care Service for issues that fall under general medicine.
In France, emergency services are increasingly overcrowded, particularly with cases that should be handled by general practitioners. This strain on the healthcare system, caused by the saturation of emergency departments, has consequences on the quality of care for true emergencies.
This study aims to better understand who these users are and why they choose the Emergency Department over other care options.
Read the detailed description
the saturation of Emergencies is explained by the constant increase in the number of visits, the reasons for this dynamic have been studied very little. Social security emphasizes that the characteristics of patients consulting there are poorly known.
Several theses in general medicine have dealt with the relevance of the use of SAU and the difficulties encountered in these structures, but none have dealt with this subject in the Martigues basin. Likewise, if several studies question doctors, none has yet questioned, in mirror image, patients in emergency rooms and an unscheduled care center.
To try to answer these unknowns, we propose to interview both patients consulting in the Emergency Department and in the City Medical Center for reasons relating to general medicine. This comparative study aims to determine and compare these two populations while identifying the factors influencing their choice of consultation location.
Our hypotheses:
- A significant proportion of patients consult the emergency room for non-urgent reasons, which could be taken care of by general medicine.
- Patients consult the Emergency Department or Permanent Care Center because the attending physician is not available.
- Patients consult the Emergency Department because they were not referred by a healthcare professional before going there.
- Patients come to the Emergency Department because it better corresponds to their way of consuming care. (Open 24 hours a day, easily accessible.) The target population of the study corresponds to adult patients consulting spontaneously and by their own means for a reason relating to general medicine, whether at the SAU of the Martigues Hospital Center or at the Escaillon Care Center.
To be included in the study, patients must meet the following criteria:
- Patients aged 18 and over
- Patients who have given oral consent
- Patients with rights covered by Social Security
- Patients able to understand French
- Patients consulting for any reason for consultation in general medicine
We have established a list of these reasons based on reading scientific literature and our experience in the practice of general medicine.
- Conditions
- This Study is to Evaluate the Prevalence, Patients Consulting the Emergency Department for Reasons Relating to General Medicine
- Being tested
- type of consultation
- Keywords
- Patient care pathway,, consultation at the Emergency Department, Permanent Care
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
type of consultationOther
urgence care, permance care
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| group of patients consulting the Emergency Department | Not described Receives: Other: type of consultation | |
| group of patients consulting the permanent care service | Not described |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
prevalence
proportion of patients consulting the Emergency Department for a reason relating to general medicine
Measured: one days
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted1 Jul 2025
- Study start15 Jan 2025
- Primary completion20 May 2026
- Study completion20 May 2026
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for This Study is to Evaluate the PrevalenceStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Other
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Enrolment
- 194 participants (actual)
- Target duration
- 1 Day
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Centre Hospitalier de Martigues
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Bouriche Bouriche, doctor, Study director, Centre Hospitalier de Martigues
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07046754
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2024_02_RIPH3_Thèse Interne Dr
- Acronym
- PSP-FICU
- Status last verified
- Feb 2026
- First submitted
- 23 Jun 2025
- Last updated
- 22 May 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 22 May 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Patient Care Pathway and Factors Influencing Their Choice to Consult in the Emergency Department or an Out-of-Hours Care Service: A Comparative Study
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07046754
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- PSP-FICU / 2024_02_RIPH3_Thèse Interne Dr
- Conditions
- This Study is to Evaluate the Prevalence, Patients Consulting the Emergency Department for Reasons Relating to General Medicine
- Keywords
- Patient care pathway,, consultation at the Emergency Department, Permanent Care
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 194 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Centre Hospitalier de MartiguesUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 15 Jan 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 20 May 2026 (actual)
- Study completion
- 20 May 2026 (actual)
- First posted
- 1 Jul 2025 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
It focuses on the patient care pathway and the factors influencing their choice to seek consultation in the Emergency Department or Out-of-Hours Care Service for issues that fall under general medicine.
In France, emergency services are increasingly overcrowded, particularly with cases that should be handled by general practitioners. This strain on the healthcare system, caused by the saturation of emergency departments, has consequences on the quality of care for true emergencies.
This study aims to better understand who these users are and why they choose the Emergency Department over other care options.
Detailed description
the saturation of Emergencies is explained by the constant increase in the number of visits, the reasons for this dynamic have been studied very little. Social security emphasizes that the characteristics of patients consulting there are poorly known.
Several theses in general medicine have dealt with the relevance of the use of SAU and the difficulties encountered in these structures, but none have dealt with this subject in the Martigues basin. Likewise, if several studies question doctors, none has yet questioned, in mirror image, patients in emergency rooms and an unscheduled care center.
To try to answer these unknowns, we propose to interview both patients consulting in the Emergency Department and in the City Medical Center for reasons relating to general medicine. This comparative study aims to determine and compare these two populations while identifying the factors influencing their choice of consultation location.
Our hypotheses:
- A significant proportion of patients consult the emergency room for non-urgent reasons, which could be taken care of by general medicine.
- Patients consult the Emergency Department or Permanent Care Center because the attending physician is not available.
- Patients consult the Emergency Department because they were not referred by a healthcare professional before going there.
- Patients come to the Emergency Department because it better corresponds to their way of consuming care. (Open 24 hours a day, easily accessible.) The target population of the study corresponds to adult patients consulting spontaneously and by their own means for a reason relating to general medicine, whether at the SAU of the Martigues Hospital Center or at the Escaillon Care Center.
To be included in the study, patients must meet the following criteria:
- Patients aged 18 and over
- Patients who have given oral consent
- Patients with rights covered by Social Security
- Patients able to understand French
- Patients consulting for any reason for consultation in general medicine
We have established a list of these reasons based on reading scientific literature and our experience in the practice of general medicine.
Study design
- Observational model
- Other
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Target follow-up
- 1 Day
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| group of patients consulting the Emergency Department | – | Other: type of consultation |
| group of patients consulting the permanent care service | – | – |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- patients who consult the emergency room vs. permanent care in the city of Martigues
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Patients aged 18 and over.
- Patients who have given oral consent.
- Patients with rights covered by Social Security.
- Patients able to understand French.
Key exclusion criteria (12 listed)
- Minor patient.
- Chest pain
- Limb fracture/deformity
- Major trauma
- Wound
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| type of consultationurgence care, permance care | Other | group of patients consulting the Emergency Department |
Primary outcome
prevalence
Time frame: one days
proportion of patients consulting the Emergency Department for a reason relating to general medicine
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 22 May 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Bouriche Bouriche, doctor study director
Centre Hospitalier de Martigues
2 sites in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of This Study is to Evaluate the Prevalence and Patients Consulting the Emergency Department for Reasons Relating to General Medicine, run by Centre Hospitalier de Martigues at 2 sites in France.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 12 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 22 May 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 2 sites in France. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
prevalence (time frame: one days). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 22 May 2026.