Emergency care utilization in persons with substance related diagnoses

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Services Research
• Substance Use Disorders

Background:

• Substance use significantly contributes to emergency department (ED) visits.
• Limited understanding of ED utilization patterns among individuals with substance-related diagnoses (SRD).

Purpose of the Study:

• Examine ED healthcare utilization patterns among individuals with SRDs.
• Analyze socio-demographic characteristics of individuals with SRDs.
• Identify correlates of SRDs and emergency care utilization.

Main Methods:

• Utilized electronic health records (EHR) from a large California healthcare system (April 2012-September 2019).
• Conducted adjusted logistic regression models.
• Analyzed socio-demographic factors and SRD-associated emergency care.

Main Results:

• 5.26% of 342,651 adult patients had an SRD.
• Alcohol, opioid, and stimulant-related diagnoses showed highest odds of ED visits (aORs 3.75, 3.57, 3.48).
• Individuals with SRDs were more likely to be male, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latinx, uninsured, and have serious mental illness.

Conclusions:

• A significant association exists between SRDs and emergency health services utilization.
• Demographic disparities (gender, race/ethnicity, insurance, mental health) are evident for individuals with SRDs.
• Findings support targeted screening and interventions to prevent or manage emergency care needs for this population.