Predictors of frequent emergency department use among patients with psychiatric illness

To identify the patient characteristics associated with frequent emergency department (ED) use and develop a tool to predict risk for returning in the next month.

Prospective cohort study of 863 adults with psychiatric illness presenting to one of four general hospital EDs. ED visits and relevant clinical information in the year before and one month after the index visit were abstracted.

One hundred sixty-seven of the patients (19%) were considered frequent users. Characteristics associated with frequent user status were homelessness, cocaine-positive toxicology screen, Medicare insurance, a personality disorder and hepatobiliary disease (all P<.05). Patients scoring in the highest risk category had nearly five times the odds of returning to the ED in the month subsequent to the index visit.

Psychiatric patients with frequent ED use are a heterogeneous group, but there are specific target conditions which, if confirmed, may facilitate reduced ED use and be replaced by more appropriate treatment.