Seitz I P, Zarzo Vargas M, Strasser T, Nasyrov E, Bartz-Schmidt K U
Universitäts-Augenklinik Tübingen, Universität Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 7, 72076, Tübingen, Deutschland.
Forschungsinstitut für Augenheilkunde, Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Deutschland.
Ophthalmologie. 2025 Jan;122(1):39-45. doi: 10.1007/s00347-024-02121-6. Epub 2024 Oct 8.
The increasing congestion in emergency departments of all specialties is one of the most pressing challenges of our time.
The aim of this study is to make a well-founded contribution to the development of emergency case numbers in the tertiary sector (specialist clinics) of German ophthalmology. From this, the need to develop new control and triage mechanisms for ophthalmology can be derived.
Retrospectively, > 140,000 emergency treatment cases at the University Eye Hospital Tübingen in the period from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2023 were analyzed. Sub-analyses were conducted to quantify the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and differences between weekend and weekday visits. In addition, a questionnaire survey on the referral status of emergency consultations at off-peak times and at weekends was conducted in 2022.
The number of emergency consultations more than doubled between 2010 and 2023 and more than tripled at weekends. The peak load, which is relevant for guaranteeing treatment, has increased to the same extent. In the long term, a shift in emergency treatment from core to off-peak times can be observed, particularly at weekends. The majority of consultations (up to 87%) take place without a referral from a doctor. In 2023, the treatment figures returned to the level before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The emergency outpatient clinic at the University Eye Hospital is increasingly exposed to a double burden: providing treatment for emergency cases with specialist referrals and at the same time acting as a catchment basin for general emergencies. New control and triage mechanisms are urgently needed to ensure good care in the long term.
各专科急诊科日益拥堵是我们这个时代最紧迫的挑战之一。
本研究旨在为德国眼科三级医疗机构（专科诊所）急诊病例数量的发展做出有充分依据的贡献。由此，可以得出开发眼科新的控制和分诊机制的必要性。
回顾性分析了2010年1月1日至2023年12月31日期间图宾根大学眼科医院超过140,000例急诊病例。进行了子分析以量化新冠疫情的影响以及周末和工作日就诊的差异。此外，2022年还针对非高峰时段和周末急诊会诊的转诊情况进行了问卷调查。
2010年至2023年间急诊会诊数量增加了一倍多，周末增加了两倍多。与保证治疗相关的高峰负荷也有相同程度的增加。从长远来看，可以观察到急诊治疗从高峰时段向非高峰时段转移，尤其是在周末。大多数会诊（高达87%）在没有医生转诊的情况下进行。2023年，治疗数据恢复到新冠疫情开始前的水平。
图宾根大学眼科医院的急诊门诊越来越面临双重负担：为有专科转诊的急诊病例提供治疗，同时作为一般急诊的汇集地。迫切需要新的控制和分诊机制以确保长期的优质护理。
