Exploring the factors associated with non-urgent emergency department utilisation for mental health care

Fabrice I Mowbray; Abeer E Omar; Kathyrn Pfaff; Maher M El-Masri

doi:10.1177/1744987119845020

Exploring the factors associated with non-urgent emergency department utilisation for mental health care

J Res Nurs. 2019 Dec;24(8):663-674. doi: 10.1177/1744987119845020. Epub 2019 Jul 8.

Authors

Fabrice I Mowbray¹, Abeer E Omar², Kathyrn Pfaff³, Maher M El-Masri⁴

Affiliations

¹ PhD student, Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Canada.
² Research Associate, Faculty of Nursing, University of Windsor, Canada.
³ Associate Professor, Faculty of Nursing, University of Windsor, Canada.
⁴ Professor, College of Nursing, Wayne State University, USA.

Abstract

Background: Emergency department visits for mental health care are on the rise across North America. Patients with mental illness are at an increased risk for frequent and non-urgent emergency department visitation.

Aims: The purpose of this study was to examine the independent predictors of non-urgent emergency department use for mental health care.

Methods: A secondary data analysis was conducted with archived data provided by the Erie St. Clair Local Health Integration Network in Ontario.

Results: A total of 13,114 mental health-related emergency department visits were analysed using logistic regression with generalised estimating equations modelling. The findings suggest the following characteristics are predictive of non-urgent emergency department use for mental health care: age, season, time of day, access to primary health care, mode of arrival, hospital type, referral source and patient diagnosis.

Conclusions: The findings of this study can be utilised to assist clinicians and policy makers in identifying and managing patients using the emergency department for non-urgent mental health care.

Keywords: emergency department; mental illness; non-urgent; utilisation.