Prior Outpatient Care Use in Emergency Department Patients with Low- and High-acuity Conditions in Germany

While almost half of both low- and high-acuity patient groups utilized outpatient services prior to the ED visit, low-acuity patients were generally younger and had fewer such contacts. The majority had accessed both primary care and the ED, challenging the assumption that low-acuity patients routinely bypass outpatient care before seeking emergency services. This raises the question of what limitations or unaddressed needs in outpatient care drive these patients to seek subsequent care in the ED. More research is needed to explore the structural and systemic factors influencing low-acuity ED visits.