Characteristics of All, Occasional, and Frequent Emergency Department Visits Due to Ambulatory Care–Sensitive Conditions in Florida

• DOI: 10.1097/jac.0b013e318244d222
• Publication Date: 2013-07-04T00:06:00Z
• Authors: Askar S. Chukmaitov; Anqi Tang; Henry J. Carretta; Nir Menachemi; Robert G. Brooks
• Keywords: Adult; Aged, 80 and over; Male; Adolescent; Primary Health Care; Infant, Newborn; Infant; Middle Aged; Health Services Accessibility; 3. Good health; 03 medical and health sciences; Cross-Sectional Studies; Logistic Models; 0302 clinical medicine; Child, Preschool; Ambulatory Care; Florida; Humans; Female; Child; Emergency Service, Hospital; Aged; Quality of Health Care

We studied characteristics of all, occasional, and frequent emergency department (ED) visits due to ambulatory care-sensitive conditions (ACSCs). We used a cross-sectional, split-sample design with multivariate logistic regressions using encounter-level, all-payer ED data from all Florida hospitals for the year of 2005. We evaluated associations of key patient characteristics, characteristics of ED utilization, and availability of primary care physicians in the area, with ED visits for ACSCs. We concluded that factors associated with ED use for ACSCs were similar for occasional and frequent ED users. Therefore, universal strategies for reduction of ED overutilization by increasing access to, timeliness, and quality of primary care for all patients likely to experience ACSCs should be used.