Journal of the Association for Academic Minority Physicians : the official publication of the Association for Academic Minority Physicians
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J Assoc Acad Minor Phys · Mar 2001
Comparative StudyDescribing and predicting frequent users of an emergency department.
The objective of this study was to examine the pattern of emergency department (ED) utilization among a cohort of ED users over a 3-year period and to identify factors predicting use. Billing records were used to track one hospital's cohort of adult frequent ED users (> or = 3 visits/per year) over a 3-year period. Frequent and (< 3 visits/per year) infrequent users were compared by age, gender, marital status, insurance status, and hospitalization rates. ⋯ Other factors (including age, gender, marital status, insurance status, and hospitalization following an ED visit) were not significant independent predictors of frequent ED use. Our data revealed that the past history of frequent ED use is predictive of future frequent ED use. Studies are needed on effective interventions to determine the reasons for continued frequent ED use.
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J Assoc Acad Minor Phys · Mar 2001
Comparative StudyDiversity: the need, the challenge, the promise.