Public Knowledge of Emergency Department Triage and Its Association with Non-Urgent Emergency Care Utilization

Introduction Emergency department (ED) overcrowding remains a persistent challenge, driven in part by non-urgent utilization. Public understanding of ED triage may influence healthcare-seeking behavior, yet evidence from Saudi Arabia remains limited and regionally variable. This study assessed public knowledge of the ED triage system and examined its association with patterns of non-urgent ED utilization and primary care use. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted between August and October 2025 among residents of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, using a self-administered, bilingual online questionnaire adapted from previously validated instruments. The survey assessed sociodemographic characteristics, ED visit history, knowledge of ED triage, and healthcare-seeking behavior. Knowledge levels were classified using Bloom's taxonomy. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were applied, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. Results A total of 285 participants were included in the analysis. All statistical analyses were performed using JASP statistical software. Overall, 69.1% demonstrated adequate knowledge of the ED triage system, 14.4% satisfactory knowledge, and 16.5% poor knowledge. Employment in the healthcare sector was the strongest predictor of adequate knowledge (p = 0.001), followed by younger age, higher educational level, higher income, and recent ED visits. Despite relatively high awareness in the sample, 75.1% of participants did not attempt to contact a primary healthcare center before visiting the ED, and 61.8% reported not having a regular primary care physician. Triage knowledge was not significantly associated with primary care utilization behaviors. Conclusion Public knowledge of ED triage was relatively high compared with earlier regional studies; however, triage knowledge was not significantly associated with primary care utilization behaviors or self-reported indicators of potentially non-urgent ED use. Interventions should prioritize improvements in primary care access, appointment availability, and continuity of care, supplemented by targeted public education on ED triage to enhance patient satisfaction and address knowledge disparities in vulnerable groups Keywords Emergency department; Triage; Public knowledge; Non-urgent visits; Primary healthcare; Healthcare utilization