Identifying Predictors of Emergency Room Utilization in Primary Care.

Abstract

Emergency room (ER) utilization is a growing, costly concern for health care in the USA. Several variables have been reported as contributing factors to increased ER utilization including chronic health conditions, depression, lower cognitive abilities, and socioeconomic status.1 However, no prior research has simultaneously analyzed these patient-specific variables. Additionally, most of the research that has identified factors related to ER utilization has been conducted after patients have already sought ER services. To decrease ER use, it is important to identify patients before they visit the ER. With the growth of behavioral health services availability in primary care clinics, early identification of patients at risk for utilization of ER services may be possible. The purpose of this study was to determine whether predictors of ER utilization could be identified during a behavioral health consultation in the primary care setting and to investigate which variables were most important in predicting higher ER use.