300 million Patient Examinations per year; Evaluation of Emergency and Polyclinic Services of 2nd and 3rd Stage Public Health Facilities in Turkey

Abstract

Background: There are many applications to both emergency services and polyclinics in Turkey. Emergency services are the diagnosis and treatment units that meet a significant part of the patient population in Turkey. In our study, the number of patients admitted to and examined in our country's emergency services and hospital outpatient clinics, and the number of consultations requested during the diagnosis and treatment process were examined. The aim is to identify the applications to public hospitals in our country, to examine their changes over the years, and to show the change in emergency and polyclinic services in recent years.
 Material and Methods: In this study, which is planned as a retrospective descriptive study, data on the number of patients who applied to the 2nd and 3rd level 836 public hospital outpatient clinics and emergency services in Turkey between January 1, 2016 and January 1, 2022 were discussed. The data were recorded on the spreadsheet program and their percentage changes were calculated using the tabulation program statistical formulas.
 
 Results: While the population of our country was approximately 79.8 million in 2016, it increased to 84.6 million by the end of 2021. In this process, the number of patients examined in emergency services increased from 92.6 million in 2016 to 129.5 million by the end of 2021. In the same period, the number of examinations in polyclinics decreased from 199.5 million to 136.9 million. Between these years, the number of specialist physician consultations increased from 12.1 million patients in 2016 to 14.6 million patients at the end of 2021. 
 Conclusions: Along with the positive developments in health services, there has been a serious increase in the demand for health services in recent years, with the increase in accessibility to services. The number of patients examined in the emergency services, which is the area most affected by these demands, and its share in all examination rates have increased greatly over the years. In the light of these statistics, it would be appropriate to plan both emergency services and polyclinic services according to the conditions of the day.

From Tragedy to Resilience in a University Hospital: Characteristics of Patients in the Aftermath of the 2023 Turkey Earthquake

“…One-third of the annual outpatient clinic examinations in Turkey are performed in the ED, and all possible problems of the patients are attempted to be solved in the ED, and this situation prolongs the waiting time. 21 The length of these periods is due to the fact that this understanding continues even in extraordinary situations such as earthquakes for patients who will be hospitalized, and for patients who will be discharged, patients stay in EDs for a long time due to problems such as housing and lack of access to social support to receive follow-up treatment. Furthermore, patients requiring early interventions other than surgery, such as hemodialysis, received this treatment first and were re-examined for other injuries once the life-threatening situation had passed.…”

Experiences of Registered Nurses in Overcrowded Emergency Departments: A Qualitative Study

“…This indicates that, in Türkiye, the number of people seeking care at EDs in a year is nearly twice the country's population. 4 Studies from various countries have shown that EDs operate at capacities ranging from 50% to 68%. 5 One significant cause of ED overcrowding is the insufficient bed capacity in inpatient units and the extended lengths of stay for patients in the ED.…”

Factors Relating to Decision Delay in the Emergency Department: Effects of Diagnostic Tests and Consultations

“…In the last five years covering the period 2017–2021, this percentage has been observed to be 31.90% 32.60%, 40.30%, 45.40%, and 48.60% respectively in Turkey. 2 …”