Associations of Frequent Emergency Department Use with Older Age, Multimorbidity, and Perceived Health: A Population-Based Study.

Abstract

The purpose of this retrospective population-based study of adults aged ≥50 years was to examine associations between older age, multimorbidity, and self-rated perceptions of health with frequent emergency department (ED) visits. Using Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) 2015-16 data, a multivariate logistic regression model was generated to evaluate associations between predictor variables and frequent ED use. The study sample included data for 57,138 participants across Canada, equating to approximately 13,091,592 when sampling weights applied. Frequent ED use was associated with older age, male sex, multimorbidity, and lower household income. Lower self-rated levels of health were most strongly associated with frequent ED use. Having a primary health care provider was not a significant predictor in univariate or multivariate analyses. Older adults who are frequent ED attenders are a distinct population whose characteristics need to be understood to target strategies for those who most need them to improve quality care and outcomes.