Names-based classification of accident and emergency department users

Abstract

This paper studies differential healthcare utilisation by ethnic group. Administrative records of nearly 100,000 users of an Inner London accident and emergency (A&E) facility were analysed using an innovative names-based ethnicity classification. Adult repeated ‘light’ usage (i.e. with no hospitalisation or follow-up) did not differ according to ethnic group. Users from ethnic minorities had lower GP registration rates than the majority reference group. However, lack of GP registration was not associated with repeated light use of A&E, overall. Therefore, these results challenge common perceptions of differential A&E access rates by ethnicity.