Emergency department use and barriers to wellness: a survey of emergency department frequent users

BACKGROUND: There is no common understanding of how needs of emergency department (ED) frequent users differ from other patients. This study sought to examine how to best serve this population. Examinations of why ED frequent users present to the ED, what barriers to care exist, and what service offerings may help these patients achieve an optimal level of health were conducted. METHODS: We performed a prospective study of frequent ED users in an adult only, level 1 trauma center with approximately 90,000 visits per year. Frequent ED users were defined as those who make four or more ED visits in a 12 month period. Participants were administered a piloted structured interview by a trained researcher querying demographics, ED usage, perceived barriers to care, and potential aids to maintaining health. RESULTS: Of 1,523 screened patients, 297 were identified as frequent ED users. One hundred frequent ED users were enrolled. The mean age was 48 years (95% CI 45–51). The majority of subjects were female (64%, 64/100, 95% CI 55–73%), white (61%, 60/98, 95% CI 52–71%) and insured by Medicaid (55%, 47/86, 95% CI 44–65%) or Medicare (23%, 20/86, 95% CI 14–32%). Subjects had a median of 6 ED visits, and 2 inpatient admissions in the past 12 months at this hospital. Most frequent ED users (61%, 59/96, 95% CI 52–71%) stated the primary reason for their visit was that they felt that their health problem could only be treated in an ED. Transportation presented as a major barrier to few patients (7%, 7/95, 95% CI 3–14%). Subjects stated that “after-hours options, besides the ED for minor health issues” (63%, 60/95, 95% CI 53–73%) and having “a nurse to work with you one-on-one to help manage health care needs” (53%, 50/95, 95% CI 43–63%) would be most helpful in achieving optimal health. CONCLUSION: This study characterized ED frequent users and identified several opportunities to better serve this population. By understanding barriers to care from the patient perspective, health systems can potentially address unmet needs that prevent wellness in this population. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12873-017-0126-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.