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Dall'Oglio I, Biagioli V, Pol A, Gawronski O, Carlin C, Cirulli L, Piga S, Stelitano R, Offidani C, Raucci U, Reale A, Tiozzo E, Villani A, Raponi M. Children accessing accident and emergency department for non-urgent consultations: A cross-sectional study about parents' use of primary care services. Int Emerg Nurs 2024; 74:101436. [PMID: 38744105 DOI: 10.1016/j.ienj.2024.101436] [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: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Parents often take their children to the Paediatric Accident and Emergency Department (A&E) for non-urgent consultations rather than using community-based primary care services. This study describes the use of primary care services in parents taking their children to the A&E for non-urgent consultations. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted from July 2018 to June 2019, in a second-level Italian paediatric A&E of a tertiary-level children's academic research and hub hospital. Parents of children aged between 3 months and 6 years assigned with a white code at the triage were asked to complete a paper-and-pencil 40-item questionnaire after accessing the A&E for a non-urgent consultation. RESULTS The questionnaire was completed by the parents of 237 children (males 58 %; median age = 2.3 years). Overall, 48.1 % (n = 114) of the parents reported consulting 'often/always' the primary care paediatrician, mainly when their child was sick and for check-ups (n = 182, 76.8 %). However, only 7.2 % (n = 17) of the parents 'often/always' used any other health service in the community. Most of them (n = 191, 82 %) did not even know where the community health centre was located. CONCLUSION Parents accessing the A&E for non-urgent consultations should be better informed/educated on how to use community health services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Immacolata Dall'Oglio
- Professional Development, Continuing Education and Research Service, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Piazza Sant'Onofrio 4, 00165 Rome, Italy.
| | - Valentina Biagioli
- Professional Development, Continuing Education and Research Service, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Piazza Sant'Onofrio 4, 00165 Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandra Pol
- Department of Emergency, Admissions, and General Pediatrics, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Piazza Sant'Onofrio 4, 00165 Rome, Italy
| | - Orsola Gawronski
- Professional Development, Continuing Education and Research Service, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Piazza Sant'Onofrio 4, 00165 Rome, Italy
| | - Claudia Carlin
- Professional Development, Continuing Education and Research Service, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Piazza Sant'Onofrio 4, 00165 Rome, Italy
| | - Luisa Cirulli
- Department of Emergency, Admissions, and General Pediatrics, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Piazza Sant'Onofrio 4, 00165 Rome, Italy
| | - Simone Piga
- Unit of Epidemiology, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Piazza Sant'Onofrio 4, 00165 Rome, Italy
| | - Rocco Stelitano
- Department of Emergency, Admissions, and General Pediatrics, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Piazza Sant'Onofrio 4, 00165 Rome, Italy
| | - Caterina Offidani
- Unit of Legal Medicine, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Piazza Sant'Onofrio 4, 00165 Rome, Italy
| | - Umberto Raucci
- Department of Emergency, Admissions, and General Pediatrics, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Piazza Sant'Onofrio 4, 00165 Rome, Italy
| | - Antonino Reale
- Department of Emergency, Admissions, and General Pediatrics, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Piazza Sant'Onofrio 4, 00165 Rome, Italy
| | - Emanuela Tiozzo
- Professional Development, Continuing Education and Research Service, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Piazza Sant'Onofrio 4, 00165 Rome, Italy
| | - Alberto Villani
- Department of Emergency, Admissions, and General Pediatrics, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Piazza Sant'Onofrio 4, 00165 Rome, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Raponi
- Medical Directorate, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Piazza Sant'Onofrio 4, 00165 Rome, Italy
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Anyatonwu SC, Giannouchos TV, Washburn DJ, Quinonez RA, Ohsfeldt RL, Kum HC. Predictors of Pediatric Frequent Emergency Department Use Among 7.6 million Pediatric Patients in New York. Acad Pediatr 2022; 22:1073-1080. [PMID: 35385791 DOI: 10.1016/j.acap.2022.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Revised: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study examines the characteristics and factors associated with frequent emergency department (ED) utilization among the pediatric population. METHODS We conducted a pooled cross-sectional secondary analysis using the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Emergency and Inpatient Databases on ED visits to all hospitals in New York from 2011 to 2016 by patients aged 0 to 21. We used multivariable logistic and negative binomial regressions to investigate the predictors of multiple ED visits in the pediatric population. RESULTS Overall, our study included 7.6 million pediatric patients who accounted for more than 12 million ED visits. Of those, 6.2% of patients were frequent ED users (≥4 visits/year), accounting for 20.8% of all ED visits (5.4 ED visits/year on average). The strongest predictors of frequent ED use were having at least one ED visit related to asthma (aOR = 8.37 [95% CI: 6.34-11.04]), mental health disorders (aOR = 9.67 [95% CI: 8.60-10.89]), or multiple comorbidities compared to none. Larger shares of ED visits for not-emergent conditions were also associated with frequent ED use (aOR = 6.63 [95% CI = 5.08-8.65]). Being covered by Medicaid compared to private (aOR = 0.45 [95% CI: 0.42-0.47]) or no insurance (aOR = 0.41 [95% CI: 0.38-0.44]) were further associated with frequent ED use. The results from the negative binomial regression yielded consistent findings. CONCLUSIONS Pediatric patients who exhibit increased ED use are more medically complex and have increased healthcare needs that are inextricably tied to social determinants of health. Better integrated health systems should emphasize connecting vulnerable patients to appropriate social and primary care services outside of emergency settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia C Anyatonwu
- Population Informatics Lab, School of Public Health (SC Anyatonwu, TV Giannouchos, DJ Washburn, RL Ohsfeldt, and HC Kum), Texas A&M University, College Station, Tex; Department of Health Policy & Management, School of Public Health (SC Anyatonwu, DJ Washburn, RL Ohsfeldt, and HC Kum), Texas A&M University, College Station, Tex
| | - Theodoros V Giannouchos
- Population Informatics Lab, School of Public Health (SC Anyatonwu, TV Giannouchos, DJ Washburn, RL Ohsfeldt, and HC Kum), Texas A&M University, College Station, Tex; Department of Health Services Policy & Management, Arnold School of Public Health (TV Giannouchos), University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC.
| | - David J Washburn
- Population Informatics Lab, School of Public Health (SC Anyatonwu, TV Giannouchos, DJ Washburn, RL Ohsfeldt, and HC Kum), Texas A&M University, College Station, Tex; Department of Health Policy & Management, School of Public Health (SC Anyatonwu, DJ Washburn, RL Ohsfeldt, and HC Kum), Texas A&M University, College Station, Tex
| | - Ricardo A Quinonez
- Section of Pediatric Hospital Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine (RA Quinonez), Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Tex
| | - Robert L Ohsfeldt
- Population Informatics Lab, School of Public Health (SC Anyatonwu, TV Giannouchos, DJ Washburn, RL Ohsfeldt, and HC Kum), Texas A&M University, College Station, Tex; Department of Health Policy & Management, School of Public Health (SC Anyatonwu, DJ Washburn, RL Ohsfeldt, and HC Kum), Texas A&M University, College Station, Tex
| | - Hye-Chung Kum
- Population Informatics Lab, School of Public Health (SC Anyatonwu, TV Giannouchos, DJ Washburn, RL Ohsfeldt, and HC Kum), Texas A&M University, College Station, Tex; Department of Health Policy & Management, School of Public Health (SC Anyatonwu, DJ Washburn, RL Ohsfeldt, and HC Kum), Texas A&M University, College Station, Tex
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Giannouchos TV, Ukert B, Andrews C. Association of Medicaid Expansion With Emergency Department Visits by Medical Urgency. JAMA Netw Open 2022; 5:e2216913. [PMID: 35699958 PMCID: PMC9198732 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.16913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Relatively little is known about the association of the Medicaid eligibility expansion under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act with emergency department (ED) visits categorized by medical urgency. OBJECTIVE To estimate the association between state Medicaid expansions and ED visits by the urgency of presenting conditions. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This cross-sectional study used the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Emergency Department Databases from January 2011 to December 2017 for 2 states that expanded Medicaid in 2014 (New York and Massachusetts) and 2 states that did not (Florida and Georgia). Difference-in-differences regression models were used to estimate the changes in ED visits overall and further stratified by the urgency of the conditions using an updated version of the New York University ED algorithm between the states that expanded Medicaid and those that did not, before and after the expansion. Data were analyzed between June 7 and December 12, 2021. EXPOSURE State-level Medicaid eligibility expansion. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Emergency department visits per 1000 population overall and stratified by medical urgency of the conditions. RESULTS In total, 80.6 million ED visits by 26.0 million individuals were analyzed. Emergency department visits were concentrated among women (59.3%), non-Hispanic Black individuals (28.3%), non-Hispanic White individuals (47.8%), and those aged 18 to 34 years (47.5%) and 35 to 44 years (20.4%). The rates of ED visits increased by a mean of 2.4 visits in nonexpansion states and decreased by a mean of 2.2 visits in expansion states after 2014, resulting in a significant regression-adjusted decrease of 4.7 visits per 1000 population (95% CI, -7.7 to -1.5; P = .003) in expansion states. Most of this decrease was associated with decreases in ED visits by conditions classified as not emergent (-1.5 visits; 95% CI, -2.4 to -0.7; P < .001), primary care treatable (-1.1 visits; 95% CI, -1.6 to -0.5; P < .001), and potentially preventable (-0.3 visits; 95% CI, -0.5 to -0.1; P = .02). No significant changes were observed for ED visits related to injuries and conditions classified as not preventable (-1.4; 95% CI, -3.1 to 0.3; P = .10), as well as for substance use and mental health disorders (0.0; 95% CI, -0.2 to 0.2; P = .94). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE The findings of this study suggest that Medicaid expansion was associated with decreases in ED visits, for which decreases in ED visits for less medically emergent ED conditions may have been a factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodoros V. Giannouchos
- Department of Health Services Policy & Management, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia
| | - Benjamin Ukert
- Department of Health Policy & Management, School of Public Health, Texas A&M University, College Station
| | - Christina Andrews
- Department of Health Services Policy & Management, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia
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