A descriptive analysis of patients seeking care for nonurgent problems at an urban emergency department

摘要

Emergency Department (ED) visits for nonurgent problems are increasing nationally. Reasons for regional variation of ED utilization include differences in patient characteristics and access to alternative sources of care. This study was a descriptive analysis of a sample of patients who were seen in the Urgent Care section of the Yale-New Haven Hospital ED between October 1, 2005 and September 30, 2006. Secondary data from a Yale-New Haven Health System database for these patient visits were analyzed. Frequency distributions were calculated and Chi-square tests were used for categorical variables. Significant associations for age, gender and ethnicity were found with having a primary care provider and health insurance coverage. ED use for nonurgent problems by the uninsured was similar to patients with health insurance. The use of patient-provider communication may help to determine the nature of social problems related to the characteristics that make ED visits for nonurgent medical care necessary.