Characteristics and Predictors of Frequent Utilization of Emergency Services

Frequent users were commonly female, 35 years old, white, single, unemployed, living alone, with private insurance/Medicaid and a primary care physician. Top chief complaints were abdominal pain, headache, chest pain, low back pain, and lower extremity pain. However, a Poisson regression found that the following characteristics were associated with a higher number of ED visits: male, non-Black race, part-time employment, retired/unemployed, having Medicare, and having a chief complaint of upper respiratory infection. Headache approached significance as an independent predictor of more visits.

Publication Date: 
2009
Publisher(s): 
ScienceDirect
Pages: 
191-198
Volume: 
35
Issue: 
3
Journal Name: 
Journal of Emergency Nursing
Location: 
United States