Table 2 Average characteristics of the four quadrants

ED waiting times (minutes)

ED admission rate (per 1000 inhabitants)

Group 1:Continuity of care

Number of GPs per 1000 inhabitants

% of inhabitants (≥ 16 years) enrolled in Tuscan chronic care programmes

Chronic disease management: heart failure

Chronic disease management: diabetes

Chronic disease management: obstructive pulmonary disease

Number of FTE physicians per 10,000 admissions

% of non-urgent treated within four hours

% of hospitalized patients among those admitted to ED

% hospitalized patients within eight hours

Bed occupancy rate

% admissions to the observation unit

% of hospitalized patients from the observation unit

Observation unit length of stay < 6 h

Observation unit length of stay > 48 h

% of patients admitted to the ward hospitalized in the intensive care within 24 h

% repeat admissions to the ED within 72 h

% patients left without being seen