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van den Broek S, Sir O, Barten D, Westert G, Hesselink G, Schoon Y. Patient, caregiver and professional views on preventable emergency admissions of older patients, a multi-method study in three Dutch hospitals. BMC Geriatr 2024; 24:673. [PMID: 39127626 DOI: 10.1186/s12877-024-05267-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Older adults are too often hospitalized from the emergency department (ED) without needing hospital care. Knowledge about rates and causes of these preventable emergency admissions (PEAs) is limited. This study aimed to assess the proportion of PEAs, the level of agreement on perceived preventability between physicians and patients, and to explore their underlying causes as perceived by patients, their relatives, and the admitting physician. METHODS A multi-center multi-method study at the ED of one academic and two regional hospitals in the Netherlands was performed. All patients aged > 70 years and hospitalized from the ED were consecutively sampled during a six-week period. Quantitative data regarding patient and clinical characteristics and perceived preventability of the admission were prospectively collected from the electronical medical record and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Agreement on preventability between patient, caregivers and physicians was assessed by using the Cohen's kappa. Underlying causes of a PEA were subsequently collected by semi-structured interviews with patients and caregivers. Physician's perceived causes of a PEA were collected by telephone interviews and by open-ended questions sent by email. Thematic content analysis was used to analyze the interview transcripts and email narratives. RESULTS Out of 773 admissions, 56 (7.2%) were deemed preventable by patients or their caregivers. Admitting physicians regarded 75 (9.7%) admissions as preventable. The level of agreement between these two groups was low with a Cohen's kappa score of 0.10 (p = 0.003). Perceived causes for PEAs related to six themes: (1) insufficient support at home, (2) suboptimal care in the community setting, (3) errors in hospital care, (4) time of presentation to ED and availability of resources, (5) delayed help seeking behavior, and (6) errors made by patients. CONCLUSIONS Our findings contribute to the existing evidence that a substantial part (almost one out of ten) of the older adults visiting the ED is perceived as unnecessary hospital care by patients, caregivers and health care providers. Findings also provide valuable insight into the causes for PEAs from a patient perspective. Further research is needed to understand why the perspectives of those responsible for hospital admission and those being admitted vary considerably.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steef van den Broek
- Emergency Department, CWZ, P.O. Box 9015, Nijmegen, 6500 GS, The Netherlands.
- Department of Geriatrics, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Ozcan Sir
- Emergency Department, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Dennis Barten
- Emergency Department, Viecuri, Venlo, The Netherlands
| | - Gert Westert
- Radboud University Medical Center, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, IQ Health Care, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Gijs Hesselink
- Department of Geriatrics, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Radboud University Medical Center, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, IQ Health Care, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Yvonne Schoon
- Department of Geriatrics, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Couture V, Germain N, Côté É, Lavoie L, Robitaille J, Morin M, Chouinard J, Couturier Y, Légaré F, Hardy MS, Chartier LB, Brousseau AA, Sourial N, Mercier É, Dallaire C, Fleet R, Leblanc A, Melady D, Roy D, Sinha S, Sirois MJ, Witteman HO, Émond M, Rivard J, Pelletier I, Turcotte S, Samb R, Giguère R, Abrougui L, Smith PY, Archambault PM. Transitions of care for older adults discharged home from the emergency department: an inductive thematic content analysis of patient comments. BMC Geriatr 2024; 24:8. [PMID: 38172725 PMCID: PMC10763115 DOI: 10.1186/s12877-023-04482-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Improving care transitions for older adults can reduce emergency department (ED) visits, adverse events, and empower community autonomy. We conducted an inductive qualitative content analysis to identify themes emerging from comments to better understand ED care transitions. METHODS The LEARNING WISDOM prospective longitudinal observational cohort includes older adults (≥ 65 years) who experienced a care transition after an ED visit from both before and during COVID-19. Their comments on this transition were collected via phone interview and transcribed. We conducted an inductive qualitative content analysis with randomly selected comments until saturation. Themes that arose from comments were coded and organized into frequencies and proportions. We followed the Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research (SRQR). RESULTS Comments from 690 patients (339 pre-COVID, 351 during COVID) composed of 351 women (50.9%) and 339 men (49.1%) were analyzed. Patients were satisfied with acute emergency care, and the proportion of patients with positive acute care experiences increased with the COVID-19 pandemic. Negative patient comments were most often related to communication between health providers across the care continuum and the professionalism of personnel in the ED. Comments concerning home care became more neutral with the COVID-19 pandemic. CONCLUSION Patients were satisfied overall with acute care but reported gaps in professionalism and follow-up communication between providers. Comments may have changed in tone from positive to neutral regarding home care over the COVID-19 pandemic due to service slowdowns. Addressing these concerns may improve the quality of care transitions and provide future pandemic mitigation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Couture
- Centre de recherche intégrée pour un système apprenant en santé et services sociaux, Centre intégré de santé et services sociaux de Chaudière-Appalaches, Lévis, Québec Canada
| | - Nathalie Germain
- Centre de recherche intégrée pour un système apprenant en santé et services sociaux, Centre intégré de santé et services sociaux de Chaudière-Appalaches, Lévis, Québec Canada
- Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, Québec Canada
| | - Émilie Côté
- Centre de recherche intégrée pour un système apprenant en santé et services sociaux, Centre intégré de santé et services sociaux de Chaudière-Appalaches, Lévis, Québec Canada
| | - Lise Lavoie
- Centre de recherche intégrée pour un système apprenant en santé et services sociaux, Centre intégré de santé et services sociaux de Chaudière-Appalaches, Lévis, Québec Canada
| | - Joanie Robitaille
- Centre de recherche intégrée pour un système apprenant en santé et services sociaux, Centre intégré de santé et services sociaux de Chaudière-Appalaches, Lévis, Québec Canada
| | - Michèle Morin
- Centre de recherche intégrée pour un système apprenant en santé et services sociaux, Centre intégré de santé et services sociaux de Chaudière-Appalaches, Lévis, Québec Canada
- Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, Québec Canada
| | - Josée Chouinard
- Centre de recherche intégrée pour un système apprenant en santé et services sociaux, Centre intégré de santé et services sociaux de Chaudière-Appalaches, Lévis, Québec Canada
| | - Yves Couturier
- Department of Social Work, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec Canada
| | - France Légaré
- Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, Québec Canada
- VITAM - Centre de recherche en santé durable, Québec, Québec Canada
- Department of Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, Québec Canada
- Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec - Université Laval, Axe santé des populations et pratiques optimales en santé, Université Laval, Québec, Québec Canada
| | - Marie-Soleil Hardy
- Centre de recherche intégrée pour un système apprenant en santé et services sociaux, Centre intégré de santé et services sociaux de Chaudière-Appalaches, Lévis, Québec Canada
| | - Lucas B. Chartier
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University Health Network, Toronto, ON Canada
| | | | - Nadia Sourial
- Department of Health Management, Evaluation and Policy, School of Public Health, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec Canada
| | - Éric Mercier
- Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, Québec Canada
- Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec - Université Laval, Axe santé des populations et pratiques optimales en santé, Université Laval, Québec, Québec Canada
| | - Clémence Dallaire
- Centre de recherche intégrée pour un système apprenant en santé et services sociaux, Centre intégré de santé et services sociaux de Chaudière-Appalaches, Lévis, Québec Canada
- Faculty of Nursing Science, Université Laval, Québec, Québec Canada
| | - Richard Fleet
- Centre de recherche intégrée pour un système apprenant en santé et services sociaux, Centre intégré de santé et services sociaux de Chaudière-Appalaches, Lévis, Québec Canada
- Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, Québec Canada
- VITAM - Centre de recherche en santé durable, Québec, Québec Canada
| | - Annie Leblanc
- Centre de recherche intégrée pour un système apprenant en santé et services sociaux, Centre intégré de santé et services sociaux de Chaudière-Appalaches, Lévis, Québec Canada
- Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, Québec Canada
- VITAM - Centre de recherche en santé durable, Québec, Québec Canada
| | - Don Melady
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Schwartz-Reisman Emergency Medicine Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Denis Roy
- Commissaire à la santé et au bien-être (CSBE), Québec, Québec Canada
| | - Samir Sinha
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Sinai Health System and University Health Network, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Marie-Josée Sirois
- Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, Québec Canada
- Département de réadaptation, Faculté de médecine, Université Laval, Québec, Québec Canada
| | - Holly O. Witteman
- Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, Québec Canada
- VITAM - Centre de recherche en santé durable, Québec, Québec Canada
| | - Marcel Émond
- Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, Québec Canada
- VITAM - Centre de recherche en santé durable, Québec, Québec Canada
- Department of Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, Québec Canada
| | - Josée Rivard
- Centre de recherche intégrée pour un système apprenant en santé et services sociaux, Centre intégré de santé et services sociaux de Chaudière-Appalaches, Lévis, Québec Canada
| | - Isabelle Pelletier
- Centre de recherche intégrée pour un système apprenant en santé et services sociaux, Centre intégré de santé et services sociaux de Chaudière-Appalaches, Lévis, Québec Canada
| | - Stéphane Turcotte
- Centre de recherche intégrée pour un système apprenant en santé et services sociaux, Centre intégré de santé et services sociaux de Chaudière-Appalaches, Lévis, Québec Canada
| | - Rawane Samb
- Centre de recherche intégrée pour un système apprenant en santé et services sociaux, Centre intégré de santé et services sociaux de Chaudière-Appalaches, Lévis, Québec Canada
| | - Raphaëlle Giguère
- Centre de recherche intégrée pour un système apprenant en santé et services sociaux, Centre intégré de santé et services sociaux de Chaudière-Appalaches, Lévis, Québec Canada
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Université Laval, Québec, Québec Canada
| | - Lyna Abrougui
- Centre de recherche intégrée pour un système apprenant en santé et services sociaux, Centre intégré de santé et services sociaux de Chaudière-Appalaches, Lévis, Québec Canada
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Université Laval, Québec, Québec Canada
| | - Pascal Y. Smith
- Centre de recherche intégrée pour un système apprenant en santé et services sociaux, Centre intégré de santé et services sociaux de Chaudière-Appalaches, Lévis, Québec Canada
| | - Patrick M. Archambault
- Centre de recherche intégrée pour un système apprenant en santé et services sociaux, Centre intégré de santé et services sociaux de Chaudière-Appalaches, Lévis, Québec Canada
- Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, Québec Canada
- VITAM - Centre de recherche en santé durable, Québec, Québec Canada
- Department of Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, Québec Canada
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Bakare O, Akintujoye IA, Gbemudu PE, Mbaezue RN, Akinbolade AO, Olopade S. Medicaid Coverage and Emergency Department Utilization in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Cureus 2023; 15:e45464. [PMID: 37859924 PMCID: PMC10584275 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.45464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Overutilization of the emergency department (ED) is a significant problem in the United States (US), characterized mainly by patients with non-emergent conditions seeking care in a setting designed specifically for acute care. This has significantly increased healthcare costs in the US, a country with one of the most expensive healthcare systems in the world. ED overutilization was also found to be high among people with Medicaid coverage, especially since the Affordable Care Act was enacted with an expansion in Medicaid coverage. Using the 2018 South Eastern Pennsylvania (SEPA) Household Health Survey, we identified a significant bivariate relationship between emergency department visits and the following predictor variables: sex, race, education, employment status, 150% poverty level, and Medicaid recipient. Using a multivariable logistic regression model, Medicaid recipients had higher odds of presenting to the ED than non-Medicaid recipients [odds ratio (OR): 2.863, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.164, 3.788]. Black people (OR: 1.647, 95% CI: 1.411, 1.923) and Native Americans (OR: 2.985, 95% CI: 1.536, 5.800) had higher odds than Whites. Respondents without a high school diploma had higher odds than college graduates (OR: 1.647, 95% CI: 1.96, 2.273). Respondents below the 150% poverty line had higher odds than those at or above the 150% poverty level (OR: 1.651, 95% CI: 1.386, 1.968). Unemployed respondents had higher odds than full-time employed respondents (OR: 1.703, 95% CI: 1.488, 1.953) or part-time (OR: 1.259, 95% CI: 1.036, 1.529). No difference was observed between the sexes. Addressing ED overutilization should take a multi-faceted approach with the ultimate goal of improving access to primary care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olusegun Bakare
- Internal Medicine-Pediatrics, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, USA
| | | | - Paul E Gbemudu
- Internal Medicine-Pediatrics, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, USA
| | | | | | - Segun Olopade
- Medicine and Surgery, Igbinedion University Teaching Hospital, Okada, NGA
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Manis DR, Katz P, Lane NE, Rochon PA, Sinha SK, Andel R, Heckman GA, Kirkwood D, Costa AP. Rates of Hospital-Based Care among Older Adults in the Community and Residential Care Facilities: A Repeated Cross-Sectional Study. J Am Med Dir Assoc 2023; 24:1341-1348. [PMID: 37549887 DOI: 10.1016/j.jamda.2023.06.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We examine annual rates of emergency department (ED) visits, hospital admissions, and alternate levels of care (ALC) days (ie, the number of days that an older adult remained in hospital when they could not be safely discharged to an appropriate setting in their community) among older adults. DESIGN Repeated cross-sectional study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS Linked, individual-level health system administrative data on community-dwelling persons, home care recipients, residents of assisted living facilities, and residents of nursing homes aged 65 years and older in Ontario, Canada, from January 1, 2013, to December 31, 2019. METHODS We calculated rates of ED visits, hospital admissions, and ALC days per 1000 individuals per older adult population per year. We used a generalized linear model with a gaussian distribution, log link, and year fixed effects to obtain rate ratios. RESULTS There were 1,655,656 older adults in the community, 237,574 home care recipients, 42,600 older adults in assisted living facilities, and 94,055 older adults in nursing homes in 2013; there were 2,129,690 older adults in the community, 281,028 home care recipients, 56,975 older adults in assisted living facilities, and 95,925 older adults in nursing homes in 2019. Residents of assisted living facilities had the highest rates of ED visits (1260.692019 vs 1174.912013), hospital admissions (482.632019 vs 480.192013), and ALC days (1905.572019 vs 1443.032013) per 1000 individuals. Residents of assisted living facilities also had significantly higher rates of ED visits [rate ratio (RR) 3.30, 95% CI 3.20, 3.41), hospital admissions (RR 6.24, 95% CI 6.01, 6.47), and ALC days (RR 25.68, 95% CI 23.27, 28.35) relative to community-dwelling older adults. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS The disproportionate use of ED visits, hospital admissions, and ALC days among residents of assisted living facilities may be attributed to the characteristics of the population and fragmented licensing and regulation of the sector, including variable models of care. The implementation of interdisciplinary, after-hours, team-based approaches to home and primary care in assisted living facilities may reduce the potentially avoidable use of ED visits, hospital admissions, and ALC days among this population and optimize resource allocation in health care systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derek R Manis
- Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, USA; Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada; ICES, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | - Paul Katz
- Department of Geriatrics, College of Medicine, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Natasha E Lane
- ICES, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Internal Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Paula A Rochon
- ICES, Toronto, ON, Canada; Institute of Health Policy, Management & Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Women's College Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada; Division of Geriatric Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Samir K Sinha
- Institute of Health Policy, Management & Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, Sinai Health and University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; National Institute on Ageing, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Ross Andel
- Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, USA; Department of Neurology, Charles University, Second Faculty of Medicine and Motol University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic; International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - George A Heckman
- School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | | | - Andrew P Costa
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada; ICES, Toronto, ON, Canada; Schlegel Research Institute for Aging, Waterloo, ON, Canada; Centre for Integrated Care, St. Joseph's Health System, Hamilton, ON, Canada; Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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5
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Smeekes OS, Willems HC, Blomberg I, Buurman BM. A causal loop diagram of older persons' emergency department visits and interactions of its contributing factors: a group model building approach. Eur Geriatr Med 2023; 14:837-849. [PMID: 37391681 PMCID: PMC10447269 DOI: 10.1007/s41999-023-00816-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Understanding the etiology of older persons' emergency department (ED) visits is highly needed. Many contributing factors have been identified, however, the role their interactions play remains unclear. Causal loop diagrams (CLDs), as conceptual models, can visualize these interactions and therefore may elucidate their role. This study aimed to better understand why people older than 65 years of age visit the ED in Amsterdam by capturing the interactions of contributing factors as perceived by an expert group in a CLD through group model building (GMB). METHODS Six qualitative online focus group like sessions, known as GMB, were conducted with a purposefully recruited interdisciplinary expert group of nine that resulted in a CLD that depicted their shared view. RESULTS The CLD included four direct contributing factors, 29 underlying factors, 66 relations between factors and 18 feedback loops. The direct factors included, 'acute event', 'frailty', 'functioning of the healthcare professional' and 'availability of alternatives for the ED'. All direct factors showed direct as well as indirect contribution to older persons' ED visits in the CLD through interaction. CONCLUSION Functioning of the healthcare professional and availability of alternatives for the ED were considered pivotal factors, together with frailty and acute event. These factors, as well as many underlying factors, showed extensive interaction in the CLD, thereby contributing directly and indirectly to older persons' ED visits. This study helps to better understand the etiology of older persons' ED visits and in specific the way contributing factors interact. Furthermore, its CLD can help to find solutions for the increasing numbers of older adults in the ED.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar S Smeekes
- Internal Medicine, Section of Geriatric Medicine, Amsterdam UMC Location University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Hanna C Willems
- Internal Medicine, Section of Geriatric Medicine, Amsterdam UMC Location University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ilse Blomberg
- Internal Medicine, Section of Geriatric Medicine, Amsterdam UMC Location University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Bianca M Buurman
- Internal Medicine, Section of Geriatric Medicine, Amsterdam UMC Location University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Medicine for Older People, Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, De Boelelaan 117, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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LeBlanc M, McGaughey T, Peters PA. Characteristics of High-Resource Health System Users in Rural and Remote Regions: A Scoping Review. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:5385. [PMID: 37047999 PMCID: PMC10094250 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20075385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
A small proportion of health care users are recognized to use a significantly higher proportion of health system resources, largely due to systemic, inequitable access and disproportionate health burdens. These high-resource health system users are routinely characterized as older, with multiple comorbidities, and reduced access to adequate health care. Geographic trends also emerge, with more rural and isolated regions demonstrating higher rates of high-resource use than others. Despite known geographical discrepancies in health care access and outcomes, health policy and research initiatives remain focused on urban population centers. To alleviate mounting health system pressure from high-resource users, their characteristics must be better understood within the context in which i arises. To examine this, a scoping review was conducted to provide an overview of characteristics of high-resource users in rural and remote communities in Canada and Australia. In total, 21 papers were included in the review. Using qualitative thematic coding, primary findings characterized rural high-resource users as those of an older age; with increased comorbid conditions and condition severity; lower socioeconomic status; and elevated risk behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele LeBlanc
- School of Nursing, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Tomoko McGaughey
- Department of Health Sciences, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Paul A. Peters
- Department of Health Sciences, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
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7
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Machine learning to improve frequent emergency department use prediction: a retrospective cohort study. Sci Rep 2023; 13:1981. [PMID: 36737625 PMCID: PMC9898278 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-27568-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Frequent emergency department use is associated with many adverse events, such as increased risk for hospitalization and mortality. Frequent users have complex needs and associated factors are commonly evaluated using logistic regression. However, other machine learning models, especially those exploiting the potential of large databases, have been less explored. This study aims at comparing the performance of logistic regression to four machine learning models for predicting frequent emergency department use in an adult population with chronic diseases, in the province of Quebec (Canada). This is a retrospective population-based study using medical and administrative databases from the Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec. Two definitions were used for frequent emergency department use (outcome to predict): having at least three and five visits during a year period. Independent variables included sociodemographic characteristics, healthcare service use, and chronic diseases. We compared the performance of logistic regression with gradient boosting machine, naïve Bayes, neural networks, and random forests (binary and continuous outcome) using Area under the ROC curve, sensibility, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value. Out of 451,775 ED users, 43,151 (9.5%) and 13,676 (3.0%) were frequent users with at least three and five visits per year, respectively. Random forests with a binary outcome had the lowest performances (ROC curve: 53.8 [95% confidence interval 53.5-54.0] and 51.4 [95% confidence interval 51.1-51.8] for frequent users 3 and 5, respectively) while the other models had superior and overall similar performance. The most important variable in prediction was the number of emergency department visits in the previous year. No model outperformed the others. Innovations in algorithms may slightly refine current predictions, but access to other variables may be more helpful in the case of frequent emergency department use prediction.
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8
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Chiu YM, Dufour I, Courteau J, Vanasse A, Chouinard MC, Dubois MF, Dubuc N, Elazhary N, Hudon C. Profiles of frequent emergency department users with chronic conditions: a latent class analysis. BMJ Open 2022; 12:e055297. [PMID: 36175089 PMCID: PMC9528600 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-055297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Frequent emergency department users represent a small proportion of users while cumulating many visits. Previously identified factors of frequent use include high physical comorbidity, mental health disorders, poor socioeconomic status and substance abuse. However, frequent users do not necessarily exhibit all these characteristics and they constitute a heterogeneous population. This study aims to establish profiles of frequent emergency department users in an adult population with chronic conditions. DESIGN This is a retrospective cohort study using administrative databases. SETTING All adults who visited the emergency department between 2012 and 2013 (index date) in the province of Quebec (Canada), diagnosed with at least one chronic condition, and without dementia were included. Patients living in remote areas and who died in the year following their index date were excluded. We used latent class analysis, a probability-based model to establish profiles of frequent emergency department users. Frequent use was defined as having five visits or more during 1 year. Patient characteristics included sociodemographic characteristics, physical and mental comorbidities and prior healthcare utilisation. RESULTS Out of 4 51 775 patients who visited emergency departments at least once in 2012-2013, 13 676 (3.03%) were frequent users. Four groups were identified: (1) 'low morbidity' (n=5501, 40.2%), (2) 'high physical comorbidity' (n=3202, 23.4%), (3) 'injury or chronic non-cancer pain' (n=2313, 19.5%) and (4) 'mental health or alcohol/substance abuse' (n=2660, 16.9%). CONCLUSIONS The four profiles have distinct medical and socioeconomic characteristics. These profiles provide useful information for developing tailored interventions that would address the specific needs of each type of frequent emergency department users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yohann Moanahere Chiu
- Département de médecine de famille et de médecine d'urgence, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
- Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Isabelle Dufour
- École des sciences infirmières, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
- Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Josiane Courteau
- Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Alain Vanasse
- Département de médecine de famille et de médecine d'urgence, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
- Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Maud-Christine Chouinard
- Département des sciences de la santé, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Chicoutimi, Quebec, Canada
| | - Marie-France Dubois
- Département des sciences de la santé communautaire, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Nicole Dubuc
- École des sciences infirmières, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
- Centre de Recherche sur le Vieillissement, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Nicolas Elazhary
- Département de médecine de famille et de médecine d'urgence, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Catherine Hudon
- Département de médecine de famille et de médecine d'urgence, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
- Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
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Katayama Y, Kanehara A, Yamashita Y, Kitamura T, Oda J. The Characteristics and Outcomes of Patients Transported by Ambulance Due to Ambulatory Care Sensitive Condition: A Population-Based Descriptive Study in Osaka, Japan. Front Public Health 2022; 10:911675. [PMID: 35844890 PMCID: PMC9279932 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.911675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSCs) are defined as clinical conditions for which the risk of emergency hospital admission can be reduced by timely and effective ambulatory care. However, the actual status of patients with ACSCs who are transported by ambulance and their outcomes have not been fully elucidated. The purpose of this study was to reveal characteristics and outcomes of patients with ACSCs who were transported by ambulance using population-based registry data in Osaka, Japan. Methods This descriptive epidemiological study was conducted in the 5-year period from January 2016 to December 2020, and included patients who were transported by ambulance due to sudden illness. In this study, ACSC was further classified into acute ACSCs, chronic ACSCs, and preventable ACSCs based on the ICD-10. The number of patients transported by ambulance for ACSCs per 100,000 population in each age group was calculated for each year. In addition, Poisson regression models were used to assess the trend in the number of ACSCs patients transported by ambulance. Results A total of 1,572,152 patients were included in this study (acute ACSCs, n = 69,621; chronic ACSCs, n = 12,250; preventable ACSCs, n = 96,036; and non-ACSCs, n = 1,394,245). The overall median age was 71 years (95% confidence interval [CI], 46-92). Patients with acute ACSCs (median age: 76 years [IQR: 60-84]) and chronic ACSCs (median age: 80 years [IQR: 72-87]) were older, while patients with preventable ACSCs were younger (median age: 66 years [95%CI: 3-81]) and included a high proportion of children (33.3%, 32,002/96,036). Regarding the outcome after treatment at the emergency department, 42.6% (670,392/1,572.152) of patients were hospitalized, while 82.3% (10,079/12,250) of patients with chronic ACSCs were hospitalized. No change was observed in adults (P = 0.001) or elderly (age ≥65 years) individuals (P = 0.376) with preventable ACSCs, however, among children, the number increased until 2019 (732.5) and then decreased in 2020 (371.8) (P = 0.392). Conclusion In this study, patients with chronic ACSCs were predominantly elderly, while patients with preventable ACSCs were polarized between children and the elderly. Among patients with preventable ACSCs, there was no change over time in adults and children, but there was a marked decrease among the elderly after 2020.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuke Katayama
- Department of Traumatology and Acute Critical Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
- *Correspondence: Yusuke Katayama
| | - Atsushi Kanehara
- Department of Traumatology and Acute Critical Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
| | - Yuya Yamashita
- Department of Traumatology and Acute Critical Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
| | - Tetsuhisa Kitamura
- Division of Environmental Medicine and Population Sciences, Department of Social and Environmental Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
| | - Jun Oda
- Department of Traumatology and Acute Critical Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
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National reimbursement databases: use and limitations for rheumatologic studies. Joint Bone Spine 2022; 89:105369. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jbspin.2022.105369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Driesen B, Merten H, Barendregt R, Bonjer HJ, Wagner C, Nanayakkara PWB. Root causes and preventability of emergency department presentations of older patients: a prospective observational study. BMJ Open 2021; 11:e049543. [PMID: 34348952 PMCID: PMC8340285 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-049543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE More older patients are presenting to the emergency department (ED). It is important to know why these patients present and if the ED is the best place for them to receive the care they need. The primary aim of this study was to identify organisational-related, technical-related, healthcare worker-related and patient-related factors leading to ED presentations of older patients. The secondary aim was to determine patients' and caregivers' perspectives on what kinds of ED presentations are potentially preventable. DESIGN This is a prospective observational study. A root cause analysis was performed by the Prevention and Recovery Information System for Monitoring and Analysis method. It used basic administrative data collected from patient records and interviews of patients, general practitioners (GPs) and physicians at the ED. SETTING The ED of an academic hospital in the Netherlands. PARTICIPANTS 100 older patients (aged ≥70 years) who attended the ED between November 2017 and March 2018. RESULTS In 100 patients presenting to the ED, 159 factors that contributed to presentation were identified; most of these factors were related to underlying diseases (59%) and patient-related factors (18%). These presentations were considered potentially preventable by 23% of the physicians at the ED and 21% of the GPs, but only 10% of the patients. In only four cases was there overall agreement between the patients and the healthcare workers. CONCLUSION The most frequent underlying factors contributing to an ED presentation in older patients are disease-related and patient-related. The low percentage of ED presentations considered potentially preventable shows that a 'preventable ED presentation' is difficult to define and therefore interventions to reduce them are unlikely to be simple. Novel solutions within the acute care pathway are required in order to deliver care of optimal quality and safety to older patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Babiche Driesen
- Emergency Medicine, Amsterdam UMC - Locatie VUMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC - Locatie VUMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Hanneke Merten
- Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC - Locatie VUMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Acute Care Network North-West, Amsterdam UMC - Locatie VUMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Rosalie Barendregt
- Section of General and Acute Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Amsterdam Universitair Medische Centra, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - H Jaap Bonjer
- Department of Surgery, Amsterdam UMC - Locatie VUMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Cordula Wagner
- Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC - Locatie VUMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- NIVEL, Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Prabath W B Nanayakkara
- Section of General and Acute Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Amsterdam Universitair Medische Centra, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Dufour I, Chiu Y, Courteau J, Chouinard MC, Dubuc N, Hudon C. Frequent emergency department use by older adults with ambulatory care sensitive conditions: A population-based cohort study. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2020; 20:317-323. [PMID: 32017348 PMCID: PMC7187263 DOI: 10.1111/ggi.13875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Aim To identify factors associated with frequent emergency department (ED) use among older adults with ambulatory care sensitive conditions. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study using databases from the Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec. We included community‐dwelling individuals aged ≥65 years in the Province of Quebec (Canada), who consulted in ED at least once between 2012 and 2013 (index period), and were diagnosed with at least one ambulatory care sensitive condition in the 2 years preceding and including the index date (n = 264 473). We used a multivariate logistic regression model to evaluate the association between independent variables and being a frequent geriatric ED user, defined as four or more visits during the year after the index date. Results Out of the total study population, 17 332 (6.6%) individuals were considered frequent ED users in the year after the index date, accounting for 38% of ED uses for this period. The main variables associated with frequent geriatric ED use were older age, presence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder or diabetes, higher comorbidity index, common mental health disorders, polypharmacy, higher number of past ED and specialist visits, rural residence, and higher material and social deprivation. Dementia was inversely associated with frequent ED use. Conclusions Frequent geriatric ED users constitute a complex population whose characteristics need to be managed thoroughly in order to enhance the quality and efficiency of their care. Further studies should address their description in administrative databases so as to combine self‐perceived and professionally evaluated variables. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2020; 20: 317–323.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle Dufour
- School of Nursing, Department of Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Yohann Chiu
- Department of Family and Emergency Medicine, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Josiane Courteau
- Department of Family and Emergency Medicine, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - Nicole Dubuc
- School of Nursing, Department of Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Catherine Hudon
- Department of Family and Emergency Medicine, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada.,PRIMUS Research Group, Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke (CRCHUS)
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