Table 2.

Alternative care providers accessed before the emergency department visit: N = 116; not all survey questions were answered by all patients. Response rates reported for each question reflect those for which any response was recorded and the denominators were adjusted accordingly.

TYPE OF PRACTITIONER	PATIENTS WHO ATTEMPTED ACCESS, N (%)
Physician visit	78 (67.2)
• Family physician	30 (25.9)
• Walk-in clinic	33 (28.4)
• Non–family physician specialist	7 (6.4)
• Other	1 (0.9)
Other health care professional visit	26 (22.4)
• Naturopath	2 (1.7)
• Massage therapist	1 (0.9)
• Other	18 (15.5)
• Multiple	2 (1.7)
• No response	3 (2.6)
Called a physician’s office	54 (46.6)
Called provincial health information line	13 (11.2)