Factors predicting patient use of the emergency department: a retrospective cohort study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Many studies have shown the tendency for people without a regular care provider or primary physician to make greater use of emergency departments. We sought to determine the effects of three aspects of care provided by primary physicians (physician specialty, continuity of care and comprehensiveness of care) on their patients' use of the emergency department.

Methods

Using provincial administrative databases, we created a cohort of 367,315 adults aged 18 years and older. Participants were residents of urban areas of Quebec. Affiliation with a primary physician, the specialty of this physician (i.e., family physician v. specialist), continuity of care (as measured using the Usual Provider Continuity index) and comprehensiveness of care (i.e., number of complete ann

SUBMITTER: McCusker J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3314059 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature