Epidemiologic trends of patients who visited nationwide emergency departments: a report from the National Emergency Department Information System (NEDIS) of Korea, 2018–2022

OBJECTIVE: This study analyzed trends in emergency department (ED) visits in Korea using the National Emergency Department Information System (NEDIS) data from 2018 to 2022. METHODS: This was a retrospective observational study using data from the NEDIS database from 2018 to 2022. Age- and sex-standardized ED visits per 100,000 population, as well as age- and sex-standardized rates for mortality, admission, and transfer, were calculated. RESULTS: The standardized ED visits per 100,000 population was approximately 20,000 from 2018 to 2019 and decreased to about 18,000 in 2022. The standardized mortality rate ranged from 1.4% to 1.7%. The admission rate (18.4%–19.4%) and the transfer rates (1.6%–1.8%) were similar during the study period. Approximately 5.5% of patients were triaged as Korean Triage and Acuity Scale score 1 or 2. About 91% of patients visited the ED directly and 21.7% of patients visited the ED with an ambulance. The ED length of stay was less than 6 hours in 90.3% of patients and the ED mortality rate was 0.6%. Acute gastroenteritis was the most common diagnosis. Respiratory virus symptoms, such as fever and sore throat, were also common chief complaints. CONCLUSION: ED visits decreased during the 5-year period, while admission, transfer, and death rates remained relatively stable.