Cesenatico 4,778 from 15 January to 5 May, Mercato Saraceno 1,791 from 15 January to 5 May, Bagno di Romagna 569 from 22 January to 5 May. These are the numbers of access to the Cau in the area, the one in Cesena has just started.
Almost 151 thousand accesses in the first six months of activity (150,799), from 1 November to 5 May, a figure that exceeds 162 thousand (162,081) if we also consider Ferrara city and province, the first to start on an experimental basis.
These are the numbers of the 35 emergency assistance centers operating in Emilia-Romagna, constantly monitored by the Region to evaluate the progress of the activity throughout the territory. A balance that is confirmed as positive, also with respect to the experience of those who have needed to use the new service: from the 3,080 questionnaires on the satisfaction of the structures filled out at regional level, it emerges that 84.3% of citizens evaluate it “positively” or “very positive” the service received, and for 84.8% the waiting time was “adequate” or “optimal”.
The percentage of people who find assistance and care directly within the facility is stable and always high – over 83% (on average 8 out of 10 patients), while the most frequent pathologies (53%) linked to access – orthopedic problems , gastrointestinal and minor ailments – confirm how citizens have understood the correct “use” of the emergency assistance centres, established by the Region specifically for the management of low-complexity emergencies, continuing to keep emergencies in the hands of the emergency rooms.
Another important data concerns waiting times, which remain low, 45 minutes on average in the last week, with access mainly during daytime (82%). The greatest turnout is in fact recorded between 8am and 2pm, in 68% of cases by people between 18 and 64 years old. As regards the medical staff employed in the structures, the Caus are “young structures”: to date, in fact, 464 doctors work in the emergency care centers (205 women and 259 men), of which over 60% are under 35 years old and 53% are specializing.
Data from November 1, 2023 to May 5, 2024
These, in summary, are the data relating to the first six months of activity – from 1 November 2023 to 5 May 2024 – of the 35 Caus operating in Emilia-Romagna: 150,799 accesses (162,081 also considering those of Ferrara, the first to start experimental as low-complexity clinics), 82% of which take place during the day; on average there are 19 accesses per day in the morning (from 8am to 2pm) and 16 in the afternoon (from 2pm to 8pm), while the daily accesses at night (from 8pm to 8am) vary from a minimum of 1 to a maximum of 32 ).
Eight out of 10 patients (i.e. 83%) sent to the GP at the end of the course, therefore with assistance and care received directly on site; the cases mainly concern (53%) problems of a gastrointestinal, orthopedic nature and minor ailments. 68% of accesses are made by people between 18 and 64 years old, with average waiting times of 45 minutes in the last week, from a minimum of 3 minutes to a maximum of 2 hours and 8 minutes.
Citizens’ evaluation: 84% positive or very positive experience
For 84.3% of citizens who turned to emergency assistance centers for health problems, the experience within the Cau was “positive” or “very positive”, both in terms of reception and treatment. This is confirmed by the data collected through the questionnaire that the Emilia-Romagna Region proposed in collaboration with the health authorities starting from January 29th. Furthermore, out of 3,080 questionnaires (compiled on a voluntary and anonymous basis by the patient himself or the person accompanying him), 84.8% believed that the waiting time was “adequate” or “optimal”.
“Long live public health”, the Region’s communication campaign
The communication campaign that the Region has developed to illustrate how the Cau works and what needs they respond to continues.
Aimed at the entire population, it aims to explain to citizens how access to regional emergency services is changing – therefore where the CAUs arise and how they work and for which pathologies they are indicated – and to increase awareness that the service public healthcare is a common heritage of great value, to be preserved.
A complex topic expressed in simple words using TV, radio, billboards, social channels and information material available online, on the web page dedicated to the reform of the emergency-urgency system on the https://salute.regione.emilia-romagna.it/ website emergency and in the frequently asked questions section https://salute.regione.emilia-romagna.it/emergency/domande-frequenti. In the communication tools that allow it, the messages are reported in the five languages used in the Emergency Department (Italian, English, French, Arabic and Chinese).
The podcast “Public Health. Family lexicon”, produced by the Region, which entrusts the story of the regional health service to the testimonies and stories of patients, operators and professionals, a complex and constantly evolving machine which, day after day at the service of the communities, sees thousands of women involved and men to guarantee each of us, without distinction, the best care available. Rights, universalism, money and time are the themes of the seven episodes, online on the website at https://regioneer.it/podcast-lessico-famigliare and on the Region’s Spotify and Spreaker channels, which bring out the value of this heritage .
