Factors Associated With Emergency Department Use by Patients With and Without Mental Health Diagnoses

Abstract

Key Points Question What factors are associated with higher emergency department (ED) use among patients with and without mental health diagnoses? Findings This case-control study found that previous hospitalization and high rates of lagged ED visits were associated with higher future ED use. Mild, moderate, and severe mental health diagnoses were associated with increases of 2.9%, 12.1%, and 22.6%, respectively, in ED use. Meaning Prior patient visit patterns and patient illness severity associated with mental health diagnoses could be important contributors to increased ED use.

Impact of traumatic events incurred by asylum-seekers on mental health and utilization of medical services

“…This suggests that any perceived or actual barrier to care ultimately increases a society’s healthcare burden. Given the current context where numerous countries have developed increasingly restrictive policies concerning access to healthcare for displaced populations, this may have a detrimental impact financially [27–30]. Given the increasing global burden of displaced populations around the world, the need for improved accessibility must be highlighted.…”

Contributions of Mental and Behavioral Health Conditions to Health Service Utilization Among People With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in Massachusetts

“…Among those in the general population who utilize high cost and urgent medical services, a subset exhibits high frequency utilization. Interestingly, these high utilizers in the general population are more likely to have unmet non-medical needs such as food and housing insecurity, and are more likely to have mental and behavioral health conditions including substance abuse disorders (Behr & Diaz, 2016;Kushel, Perry, Bangsberg, Clark & Moss, 2002;Niedzwiecki, 2018). Mental illness has emerged as a substantial driver of medical service utilization: almost half of the frequent ED utilizers in the general population have a mental health diagnosis (Behr & Diaz, 2016); and 80% of people with mental illness sought medical, rather than behavioral health services, for treatment of their mental illness (Kathol, Melek & Sargent, 2015).…”

Tailored Plans

“…The rate of visits to US emergency departments continues to rise, and emergency departments increasingly treat medically underserved patients. Approximately 50% of frequent emergency department users have a mental health diagnosis [9].…”