Substance Use-related Emergency Department Visits and Resource Utilization

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Emergency Medicine
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Substance use-related emergency department (ED) visits incur significant healthcare costs.
• Limited understanding exists regarding the specific services utilized during these visits.
• This study addresses the need to characterize resource utilization in substance use-related ED encounters.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe recent trends in substance use-related ED visits.
• To assess the association between substance use and specific ED resource utilization.
• To examine the impact of concurrent mental health disorders on resource use.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective, cross-sectional analysis of the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) data (2013-2018).
• Inclusion of all US ED visits for patients aged 18 and older.
• Identification of substance use via ICD codes; primary outcomes included diagnostic and imaging studies.

Main Results:

• Substance use-related ED visits increased by 45% (2.93% to 4.25% of total visits) from 2013-2018.
• These visits were more likely to undergo diagnostic studies (aOR 1.28) and toxicology screening (aOR 10.15) but less likely to have imaging (aOR 0.62).
• Concurrent mental health disorders increased imaging use in substance use-related visits (aOR 1.56).

Conclusions:

• Rising trends in substance use and mental health-related ED visits are associated with increased resource utilization.
• Further research is needed to guide acute care approaches for this vulnerable population.
• Understanding specific service use patterns is crucial for optimizing care and managing costs.