Profiles of frequent emergency department users with chronic conditions: a latent class analysis
Objectives Frequent emergency department users represent a small proportion of users while cumulating many visits. Previously identified factors of frequent use include high physical comorbidity, mental health disorders, poor socioeconomic status and substance abuse. However, frequent users do not n...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMJ Publishing Group
2022-09-01
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| Series: | BMJ Open |
| Online Access: | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/9/e055297.full |
| _version_ | 1797996329297772544 |
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| author | Catherine Hudon Maud-Christine Chouinard Marie-France Dubois Isabelle Dufour Alain Vanasse Josiane Courteau Yohann Moanahere Chiu Nicole Dubuc Nicolas Elazhary |
| author_facet | Catherine Hudon Maud-Christine Chouinard Marie-France Dubois Isabelle Dufour Alain Vanasse Josiane Courteau Yohann Moanahere Chiu Nicole Dubuc Nicolas Elazhary |
| author_sort | Catherine Hudon |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objectives Frequent emergency department users represent a small proportion of users while cumulating many visits. Previously identified factors of frequent use include high physical comorbidity, mental health disorders, poor socioeconomic status and substance abuse. However, frequent users do not necessarily exhibit all these characteristics and they constitute a heterogeneous population. This study aims to establish profiles of frequent emergency department users in an adult population with chronic conditions.Design This is a retrospective cohort study using administrative databases.Setting All adults who visited the emergency department between 2012 and 2013 (index date) in the province of Quebec (Canada), diagnosed with at least one chronic condition, and without dementia were included. Patients living in remote areas and who died in the year following their index date were excluded. We used latent class analysis, a probability-based model to establish profiles of frequent emergency department users. Frequent use was defined as having five visits or more during 1 year. Patient characteristics included sociodemographic characteristics, physical and mental comorbidities and prior healthcare utilisation.Results Out of 4 51 775 patients who visited emergency departments at least once in 2012–2013, 13 676 (3.03%) were frequent users. Four groups were identified: (1) ‘low morbidity’ (n=5501, 40.2%), (2) ‘high physical comorbidity’ (n=3202, 23.4%), (3) ‘injury or chronic non-cancer pain’ (n=2313, 19.5%) and (4) ‘mental health or alcohol/substance abuse’ (n=2660, 16.9%).Conclusions The four profiles have distinct medical and socioeconomic characteristics. These profiles provide useful information for developing tailored interventions that would address the specific needs of each type of frequent emergency department users. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T10:15:50Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1a6dedb8941e4637bdc66f4609b9fb2d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2044-6055 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T10:15:50Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMJ Open |
| spelling | doaj.art-1a6dedb8941e4637bdc66f4609b9fb2d2022-12-22T04:29:58ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552022-09-0112910.1136/bmjopen-2021-055297Profiles of frequent emergency department users with chronic conditions: a latent class analysisCatherine Hudon0Maud-Christine Chouinard1Marie-France Dubois2Isabelle Dufour3Alain Vanasse4Josiane Courteau5Yohann Moanahere Chiu6Nicole Dubuc7Nicolas Elazhary8Département de médecine de famille et de médecine d’urgence, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, CanadaDépartement des sciences de la santé, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Chicoutimi, Quebec, CanadaDépartement des sciences de la santé communautaire, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, CanadaÉcole des sciences infirmières, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, CanadaDépartement de médecine de famille et de médecine d’urgence, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, CanadaCentre de recherche du Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, CanadaDépartement de médecine de famille et de médecine d’urgence, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, CanadaÉcole des sciences infirmières, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, CanadaDépartement de médecine de famille et de médecine d’urgence, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, CanadaObjectives Frequent emergency department users represent a small proportion of users while cumulating many visits. Previously identified factors of frequent use include high physical comorbidity, mental health disorders, poor socioeconomic status and substance abuse. However, frequent users do not necessarily exhibit all these characteristics and they constitute a heterogeneous population. This study aims to establish profiles of frequent emergency department users in an adult population with chronic conditions.Design This is a retrospective cohort study using administrative databases.Setting All adults who visited the emergency department between 2012 and 2013 (index date) in the province of Quebec (Canada), diagnosed with at least one chronic condition, and without dementia were included. Patients living in remote areas and who died in the year following their index date were excluded. We used latent class analysis, a probability-based model to establish profiles of frequent emergency department users. Frequent use was defined as having five visits or more during 1 year. Patient characteristics included sociodemographic characteristics, physical and mental comorbidities and prior healthcare utilisation.Results Out of 4 51 775 patients who visited emergency departments at least once in 2012–2013, 13 676 (3.03%) were frequent users. Four groups were identified: (1) ‘low morbidity’ (n=5501, 40.2%), (2) ‘high physical comorbidity’ (n=3202, 23.4%), (3) ‘injury or chronic non-cancer pain’ (n=2313, 19.5%) and (4) ‘mental health or alcohol/substance abuse’ (n=2660, 16.9%).Conclusions The four profiles have distinct medical and socioeconomic characteristics. These profiles provide useful information for developing tailored interventions that would address the specific needs of each type of frequent emergency department users.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/9/e055297.full |
| spellingShingle | Catherine Hudon Maud-Christine Chouinard Marie-France Dubois Isabelle Dufour Alain Vanasse Josiane Courteau Yohann Moanahere Chiu Nicole Dubuc Nicolas Elazhary Profiles of frequent emergency department users with chronic conditions: a latent class analysis BMJ Open |
| title | Profiles of frequent emergency department users with chronic conditions: a latent class analysis |
| title_full | Profiles of frequent emergency department users with chronic conditions: a latent class analysis |
| title_fullStr | Profiles of frequent emergency department users with chronic conditions: a latent class analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Profiles of frequent emergency department users with chronic conditions: a latent class analysis |
| title_short | Profiles of frequent emergency department users with chronic conditions: a latent class analysis |
| title_sort | profiles of frequent emergency department users with chronic conditions a latent class analysis |
| url | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/9/e055297.full |
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