Table 2.

Hypothetical low-acuity vignettes texted to participants. Responses are stratifed by those who would choose to seek emergency department care (ED), primary care evaluation (PCP) or no care. Proportions may exceed 100% due to rounding.

	ED	PCP	No care
10 common low-acuity medical scenarios
Your stomach has been hurting since last night. You threw up twice today.	4 (5%)	18 (23%)	57 (72%)
You’ve had a sore throat for 4 days and feel sick.	12 (15%)	34 (42%)	36 (44%)
You’ve felt sick and had a fever for two days.	22 (27%)	22 (27%)	38 (46%)
You’ve had a cough, runny nose and headache for 3 days.	8 (10%)	20 (26%)	49 (64%)
You’ve had a throbbing headache for 3 hours.	9 (10%)	5 (5%)	78 (85%)
You have a red itchy rash on your legs, it has been there for 4 days.	10 (14%)	38 (52%)	25 (34%)
You hurt your back picking up a child 2 days ago and it still hurts to move.	18 (23%)	23 (30%)	36 (47%)
You slipped walking up the stairs and injured your knee. It is swollen and painful to walk.	38 (49%)	15 (20%)	24 (31%)
You’ve had a runny nose for 5 days and now your right ear is hurting.	11 (15%)	49 (65%)	15 (20%)
You slipped in the bathroom, injured your back, it hurts to lie down and when you bend over or twist.	12 (17%)	44 (62%)	15 (21%)
All low-acuity scenarios	144 (18%)	268 (34%)	373 (48%)
Scenarios designed to prompt a PCP visit
You need a flu shot for your new job.	7 (9%)	65 (82%)	7 (9%)
You have had a mole on your leg for 10 years and are now concerned it needs to be evaluated.	7 (9%)	45 (56%)	29 (36%)
All PCP scenarios	14 (9%)	110 (69%)	36 (23%)
Scenarios designed to prompt an ED visit
All of a sudden you can’t move your right arm or leg and you can’t speak normally.	72 (94%)	2 (3%)	3 (4%)
You fell down the stairs your head is bleeding, you are confused and you can tell your leg is broken.	60 (98%)	1 (2%)	0 (0%)
All ED scenarios	132 (96%)	3 (2%)	3 (2%)