Objectives: To perform an opinion poll of users of normal health care, excluding emergency care, and also to identify populations which have required emergency care and to clarify the parameters which influence user decisions.
Methods: A transversal descriptive survey of users of Primary Medical Assurance Centres (Caisse Primaire d'Assurance Maladie) in the catchment area of the Hôpital Nord in Marseilles, France, on a given day (7 days in total). Data were gathered using a standardised questionnaire based on the following topics: socio-demographic profile of interviewed participants, patient attitude toward general practitioners' care, the reaction to a situation felt to be urgent and for which they resorted to emergency services.
Results: Interpretation of the results from 253 completed questionnaires demonstrated that users are mainly young, underprivileged, females, but who are not excluded from the health care system (good social security cover and marked presence of a family doctor). User behaviour differs according to the moment at which the problem arises (working hours, outside working hours) and depending on the degree of urgency perceived. ARISE OF DEMAND: In the most of cases, the patient consults emergency services for himself/herself. He/She takes the decision without prior consultation with a physician, within one hour of the problem arising, whether the problem is perceived as urgent or life-threatening, and arrived there under his/her own means. The main reason given is the access to emergency services without appointment and the principal medical reasons were for injuries and pain.
Conclusion: This study demonstrates that users have a coherent approach depending on physician's consulting hours and according to user's perception of the emergency. On the other hand it is clear that users lack information concerning available after-hours care and the physicians night-duty organisation.