Choose Well: Reducing ‘inappropriate’ emergency department attendances

This study's aim was to design and implement a targeted Choose Well campaign to address educational needs in inappropriate attenders at emergency departments (ED) in North Wales; particularly those living in specific postcodes and those aged 15–29 years. The campaign's effectiveness in reducing the proportion of this type of attendance was evaluated using a before-and-after study design. The proportion of inappropriate attendances out of total ED attendances in North Wales was statistically significantly reduced (P < 0.005) by 11%. The study was also able to highlight a statistically significantly reduction in the proportion of inappropriate presentations by young people aged 15–29 (of total ED attendances by this group) by 13% (P = 0.0051). However, statistical analysis found that the proportion of inappropriate attendances from the ‘top 20’ postcodes was not significantly reduced (P = 0.4163). In summary, there is strong evidence that a targeted Choose Well campaign produced a reduction in the overall p...