Across Canada, emergency departments are facing an unprecedented surge in patient volumes, stretching resources and increasing wait times. A major factor driving this congestion is the growing number of non-urgent visits—cases that could be effectively treated in primary care settings instead of the ER.

This issue has been well-documented. The latest 2025 data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) highlights the scale of the problem: one in seven emergency department visits in Canada are for conditions that could have been managed in a primary care setting. In total, this accounted for approximately 1.2 million ED visits last year, straining hospital resources and increasing wait times.

Compounding the issue, a 2024 CIHI report analysing data from the National Ambulatory Care Reporting System (2013–2014) found that 40% of non-urgent ER visits take place during regular family physician office hours, suggesting that many patients are choosing emergency care despite the availability of primary care services.

Balancing efficiency and safety in patient redirection. 

To address these challenges, many hospitals are actively researching patient redirection programs to divert non-urgent cases to more appropriate healthcare settings. The goal is to redirect enough non-urgent cases to meaningfully alleviate ED wait times, but not so many that the criteria become too lenient, potentially compromising patient safety.

Montreal’s Sacré-Cœur Hospital has demonstrated that clinically validated algorithms can accurately identify patients who do not require emergency care while maintaining patient safety. In their redirection model, approximately 15% of ambulatory patients were deemed eligible for redirection, and the return rate was just 3%—precisely the target set by researchers.

These findings underscore a critical point: the success of patient redirection hinges on the quality of the criteria used and the system’s ability to apply them accurately.

Structuring a reliable patient redirection network.

Beyond defining redirection criteria, a well-structured partner network is crucial for ensuring redirected patients receive timely care. However, establishing and maintaining these partnerships is complex, as regulations, care standards, and logistical constraints vary across regions.

Selecting the right partners and structuring clear agreements—whether with clinics, family care centers (FCCs), pharmacies, or telehealth services—is essential. Each provider has different capacities and requirements, making expert guidance invaluable. Organizations specializing in redirection offer implementation guides, checklists, and contract templates to help hospitals build sustainable networks.

What 300,000 redirections reveal about the future of emergency care. 

A well-designed redirection program requires scientifically validated decision-making and a strong, well-integrated healthcare network. But these are just two of the ten strategies identified by LGI Healthcare Solutions over the past decade to optimize emergency department redirection.

First implemented in Canada, LGI’s model has been successfully replicated across multiple hospitals and expanded internationally, with adoption in France and Switzerland. To date, this approach has safely redirected over 300,000 patients, demonstrating its scalability and impact on emergency care efficiency.

To learn more about these ten proven strategies and how to implement a successful patient redirection program, join the upcoming webinar, “Mastering ER Redirection: 10 Strategies from 10 Years of Experience”, on March 25th at 12:00 PM (EST).