Highly frequent use of emergency departments in New York City is associated with mental illness and substance use, according to a United Hospital Fund report.
The United Hospital Fund's report, "Time and Again: Frequent Users of Emergency Department Services in New York City," includes data on ED use in hospitals across New York City. Researchers defined frequent users as those with three or more ED visits in 2008 and "super-users" as those who made five or more ED visits each year from 2006 through 2008. The researchers found 4,147 people qualified as super-users.
The following characteristics were associated with super users:
• Mental illness and substance use. Alcohol-related disorders, psychiatric disorders and substance-related disorders accounted for 21 percent of visits by super-users.
• Asthma. This accounted for 11 percent of visits.
• Non-Hispanic Blacks. Forty-seven percent of super-users were non-Hispanic Blacks, while 27 percent were Hispanic, 14 percent were white non-Hispanic and 12 percent were categorized as other. Non-Hispanic Blacks accounted for only 34 percent of all ED users.
• Adults. Forty-seven percent of super-users were adults aged 40 to 64. Adults accounted for only 26 percent of all ED users.
• Safety-net patients. Seventy-two percent of super-users were safety-net patients, covered by either Medicaid or uninsured. They accounted for 53 percent of all ED users.
Another interesting finding was that while at least 60 percent of super-users had at least one hospitalization in each year from 2006 through 2008, approximately 40 percent were not hospitalized in a given year although they made at least five ED visits.
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The United Hospital Fund's report, "Time and Again: Frequent Users of Emergency Department Services in New York City," includes data on ED use in hospitals across New York City. Researchers defined frequent users as those with three or more ED visits in 2008 and "super-users" as those who made five or more ED visits each year from 2006 through 2008. The researchers found 4,147 people qualified as super-users.
The following characteristics were associated with super users:
• Mental illness and substance use. Alcohol-related disorders, psychiatric disorders and substance-related disorders accounted for 21 percent of visits by super-users.
• Asthma. This accounted for 11 percent of visits.
• Non-Hispanic Blacks. Forty-seven percent of super-users were non-Hispanic Blacks, while 27 percent were Hispanic, 14 percent were white non-Hispanic and 12 percent were categorized as other. Non-Hispanic Blacks accounted for only 34 percent of all ED users.
• Adults. Forty-seven percent of super-users were adults aged 40 to 64. Adults accounted for only 26 percent of all ED users.
• Safety-net patients. Seventy-two percent of super-users were safety-net patients, covered by either Medicaid or uninsured. They accounted for 53 percent of all ED users.
Another interesting finding was that while at least 60 percent of super-users had at least one hospitalization in each year from 2006 through 2008, approximately 40 percent were not hospitalized in a given year although they made at least five ED visits.
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