Emergency Department Visits, Related Hospitalizations, and Reasons for Emergency Department Utilization After...

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Public Health
• Traumatology

Background:

• Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) can lead to complex health needs requiring frequent medical attention.
• Emergency department (ED) utilization patterns in individuals with SCI are not well-characterized compared to the general population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the frequency of ED visits and hospitalizations among adults with traumatic SCI.
• To identify the primary reasons for ED visits in this population.
• To compare these utilization rates with data from the general population.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 648 community-dwelling adults with traumatic SCI (≥1 year postinjury).
• Self-report assessments of ED visits and hospitalizations in the past 12 months.
• Comparison with 9,728 individuals from the 2017 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS).

Main Results:

• 37% of SCI participants reported at least one ED visit, and 18% reported at least one ED hospitalization in the past year.
• Individuals with SCI were 151% more likely to visit the ED and 249% more likely to be hospitalized via ED compared to the general population.
• SCI patients cited severe health conditions and ED proximity as primary reasons for visits, while the general population cited lack of alternative care.

Conclusions:

• Individuals with SCI exhibit substantially higher rates of ED visits and hospitalizations than the general population.
• ED visits among SCI patients may signal unmet needs for ongoing care and community support.
• Regular assessment of ED utilization is crucial within SCI care systems to identify intervention opportunities.