Trends and characteristics of attendance at the emergency department of a Swiss university hospital: 2002-2012.
- Shaha M Department of Research and Development, Directorate of Nursing and Allied Health Professions, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, Switzerland; Institute of Higher Education and Research in Nursing, University of Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Gmür S Faculty of Medicine, University of Bern, Switzerland.
- Schoenenberger AW Division of Geriatrics, Department of General Internal Medicine, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, and University of Bern, Switzerland.
- Gerber FS Department of Emergency Medicine, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, Switzerland.
- Exadaktylos AK Department of Emergency Medicine, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, Switzerland.
- 2015-05-22
Published in:
- Swiss medical weekly. - 2015
Accidents
Adolescent
Adult
Age Factors
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Disease
Emergency Service, Hospital
Female
Hospitalization
Hospitals, University
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Retrospective Studies
Switzerland
Young Adult
English
BACKGROUND
The numbers of people attending emergency departments (EDs) at hospitals are increasing. We aimed to analyse trends in ED attendance at a Swiss university hospital between 2002 and 2012, focussing on age-related differences and hospital admission criteria.
METHODS
We used hospital administrative data for all patients aged ≥16 years who attended the ED (n=298,306) at this university hospital between 1 January 2002, and 31 December 2012. We descriptively analysed the numbers of ED visits according to the admission year and stratified by age (≥65 vs <65 years).
RESULTS
People attending the ED were on average 46.6 years old (standard deviation 20 years, maximum range 16‒99 years). The annual number of ED attendances grew by n=6,639 (27.6%) from 24,080 in 2002 to 30,719 in 2012. In the subgroup of patients aged ≥65 the relative increase was 42.3%, which is significantly higher (Pearson's χ2=350.046, df=10; p=0.000) than the relative increase of 23.4% among patients<65 years. The subgroup of patients≥65 years attended the ED more often because of diseases (n=56,307; 85%) than accidents (n=9,844; 14.9%). This subgroup (patients≥65 years) was also more often admitted to hospital (Pearson's χ2=23,377.190; df=1; p=0.000) than patients<65 years.
CONCLUSIONS
ED attendance of patients≥65 years increased in absolute and relative terms. The study findings suggest that staff of this ED may want to assess the needs of patients≥65 years and, if necessary, adjust the services (e.g., adapted triage scales, adapted geriatric screenings, and adapted hospital admission criteria).
The numbers of people attending emergency departments (EDs) at hospitals are increasing. We aimed to analyse trends in ED attendance at a Swiss university hospital between 2002 and 2012, focussing on age-related differences and hospital admission criteria.
METHODS
We used hospital administrative data for all patients aged ≥16 years who attended the ED (n=298,306) at this university hospital between 1 January 2002, and 31 December 2012. We descriptively analysed the numbers of ED visits according to the admission year and stratified by age (≥65 vs <65 years).
RESULTS
People attending the ED were on average 46.6 years old (standard deviation 20 years, maximum range 16‒99 years). The annual number of ED attendances grew by n=6,639 (27.6%) from 24,080 in 2002 to 30,719 in 2012. In the subgroup of patients aged ≥65 the relative increase was 42.3%, which is significantly higher (Pearson's χ2=350.046, df=10; p=0.000) than the relative increase of 23.4% among patients<65 years. The subgroup of patients≥65 years attended the ED more often because of diseases (n=56,307; 85%) than accidents (n=9,844; 14.9%). This subgroup (patients≥65 years) was also more often admitted to hospital (Pearson's χ2=23,377.190; df=1; p=0.000) than patients<65 years.
CONCLUSIONS
ED attendance of patients≥65 years increased in absolute and relative terms. The study findings suggest that staff of this ED may want to assess the needs of patients≥65 years and, if necessary, adjust the services (e.g., adapted triage scales, adapted geriatric screenings, and adapted hospital admission criteria).
- Language
-
- English
- Open access status
- gold
- Identifiers
-
- DOI 10.4414/smw.2015.14141
- PMID 25996594
- Persistent URL
- https://sonar.ch/global/documents/278522
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