Internally displaced persons' ed utilization and disease patterns: A single center retrospective chart review

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Emergency Medicine
• Conflict Medicine

Background:

• Armed conflicts severely disrupt healthcare access, disproportionately affecting internally displaced persons (IDPs).
• IDPs encounter significant barriers in accessing essential healthcare services during conflict situations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare emergency department (ED) utilization, disease spectrum, and patient outcomes between IDPs and non-displaced persons (NIDPs).
• To identify specific challenges faced by IDPs in accessing emergency care during armed conflict.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective chart review of patients at a tertiary care hospital in Lebanon.
• Categorization of patients into IDP and NIDP groups based on residential status.
• Comparison of demographic data, ED visit characteristics, and disease spectrums between groups.

Main Results:

• IDPs were younger, more likely to be insured, and arrived by ambulance compared to NIDPs.
• A higher proportion of IDPs left without being seen, against medical advice, or were transferred.
• IDPs admitted to the hospital had a greater need for critical care (CC) admission.

Conclusions:

• ED utilization by IDPs exhibits distinct patterns reflecting healthcare access challenges and case complexity.
• IDPs require critical care more frequently, indicating a higher acuity of conditions.
• The findings underscore the necessity for specialized health interventions for IDPs in conflict zones.