Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2018
DOI
10.3390/ijerph15010129
Publication Title
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Volume
15
Issue
1
Pages
1-15
Abstract
Emergency department (ED) utilization has increased due to factors such as admissions for mental health conditions, including suicide and self-harm. We investigate direct and moderating influences on non-emergent ED utilization through the Behavioral Model of Health Services Use. Through logistic regression, we examined correlates of ED use via 2014 New York State Department of Health Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System outpatient data. Consistent with the primary hypothesis, mental health admissions were associated with emergent use across models, with only a slight decrease in effect size in rural living locations. Concerning moderating effects, Spanish/Hispanic origin was associated with increased likelihood for emergent ED use in the rural living location model, and non-emergent ED use for the no non-emergent source model. 'Other' ethnic origin increased the likelihood of emergent ED use for rural living location and no non-emergent source models. The findings reveal 'need', including mental health admissions, as the largest driver for ED use. This may be due to mental healthcare access, or patients with mental health emergencies being transported via first responders to the ED, as in the case of suicide, self-harm, manic episodes or psychotic episodes. Further educating ED staff on this patient population through gatekeeper training may ensure patients receive the best treatment and aid in driving access to mental healthcare delivery changes.
Original Publication Citation
McManus, M. C., Cramer, R. J., Boshier, M., Akpinar-Elci, M., & Van Lunen, B. (2018). Mental health and drivers of need in emergent and non-emergent emergency department (ED) use: Do living location and non-emergent care sources matter? International journal of environmental research and public health, 15(1). doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15010129
ORCID
Robert Cramer (0000-0001-9105-5565)
Repository Citation
McManus, Moira C.; Cramer, Robert J.; Boshier, Maureen; Akpinar-Elci, Muge; and Lunen, Bonnie Van, "Mental Health and Drivers of Need in Emergent and Non-Emergent Emergency Department (ED) Use: Do Living Location and Non-Emergent Care Sources Matter?" (2018). Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications. 31.
https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/commhealth_fac_pubs/31
Comments
This is an open access article distributed under the (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. (CC BY 4.0).