Table 1.
Patient characteristics (n = 231)
| Inappropriate use group (n = 84) | Consultation hour group (n = 147) | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Male gender, n (%) | 51 (60.7) | 76 (51.7) | 0.19 |
| Age, mean ± SD | 43.5 ± 18.5 | 44.3 ± 17.6 | 0.75 |
| Triage level, n (%) | |||
| 4 (less urgent) | 83 (98.8) | 84 (57.1) | <0.0001 |
| 5 (nonurgent) | 1 (1.2) | 63 (42.9) | |
| Duration since symptom onset, n (%) | |||
| A few hours | 32 (38.6) | 14 (9.7) | <0.0001 |
| Half a day | 22 (26.5) | 16 (11.1) | |
| 1 d | 21 (25.3) | 44 (30.6) | |
| 2‐3 d | 8 (9.6) | 70 (48.6) | |
| Has a primary care physician, n (%) | 37 (54.4) | 65 (46.8) | 0.30 |
| Regular clinic visits, n (%) | 24 (34.8) | 51 (37.0) | 0.76 |
| Out‐of‐hours primary care clinic provided by a municipal or local medical association, n (%) | |||
| Presence | 35 (51.5) | 79 (56.4) | 0.79 |
| Absence | 17 (25.0) | 32 (22.9) | |
| Does not know | 16 (23.5) | 29 (20.7) | |
| Anxiety, n (%) | 17 (26.6) | 30 (22.1) | 0.48 |
| Depression, n (%) | 15 (23.1) | 30 (22.2) | 0.89 |
| Lives with others, n (%) | 57 (83.8) | 106 (77.4) | 0.28 |
| Diagnosis, n (%) | |||
| Acute upper respiratory infection | 18 (21.4) | 21 (14.3) | 0.44 |
| Acute gastroenteritis | 16 (19.0) | 30 (20.4) | |
| Primary headaches | 9 (10.7) | 13 (8.8) | |
| Musculoskeletal disorders | 5 (6.0) | 14 (9.5) | |
| Unspecified abdominal pain | 5 (6.0) | 4 (2.7) | |
| Other | 31 (36.9) | 65 (44.2) | |
| Laboratory testing was performed, n (%) | 11 (13.3) | 46 (31.5) | 0.002 |
| Imaging was performed, n (%) | 15 (18.1) | 34 (23.3) | 0.36 |
| Received prescriptions, n (%) | 58 (69.9) | 102 (69.4) | 0.94 |
The chi‐squared test was used for categorical variables, and Student's t test was used for continuous variables.
Abbreviation: SD, standard deviation.