IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v21y2024i2p234-d1339970.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Profiles of Emergency Department Users with Psychiatric Disorders Related to Barriers to Outpatient Care

Author

Listed:
  • Tiffany Chen

    (Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1A1, Canada)

  • Zhirong Cao

    (Douglas Hospital Research Centre, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, QC H4H 1R3, Canada)

  • Francine Ferland

    (School of Social Work, Addiction Rehabilitation Centre, Laval University, National Capital University Integrated Health and Social Services Centre, Quebec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada)

  • Lambert Farand

    (Department of Health Administration, Policy, and Evaluation, School of Public Health, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC H3N 1X9, Canada)

  • Marie-Josée Fleury

    (Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1A1, Canada
    Douglas Hospital Research Centre, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, QC H4H 1R3, Canada)

Abstract

Emergency department (ED) overcrowding is a growing problem worldwide. High ED users have been historically targeted to reduce ED overcrowding and associated high costs. Patients with psychiatric disorders, including substance-related disorders (SRDs), are among the largest contributors to high ED use. Since EDs are meant for urgent cases, they are not an appropriate setting for treating recurrent patients or replacing outpatient care. Identifying ED user profiles in terms of perceived barriers to care, service use, and sociodemographic and clinical characteristics is crucial to reduce ED use and unmet needs. Data were extracted from medical records and a survey was conducted among 299 ED patients from 2021 to 2022 in large Quebec networks. Cluster algorithms and comparison tests identified three profiles. Profile 1 had the most patients without barriers to care, with case managers, and received the best primary care. Profile 2 reported moderate barriers to care and low primary care use, best quality of life, and more serious psychiatric disorders. Profile 3 had the most barriers to care, high ED users, and lower service satisfaction and perceived mental/health conditions. Our findings and recommendations inform decision-makers on evidence-based strategies to address the unmet needs of these vulnerable populations.

Suggested Citation

  • Tiffany Chen & Zhirong Cao & Francine Ferland & Lambert Farand & Marie-Josée Fleury, 2024. "Profiles of Emergency Department Users with Psychiatric Disorders Related to Barriers to Outpatient Care," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(2), pages 1-15, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:21:y:2024:i:2:p:234-:d:1339970
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/21/2/234/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/21/2/234/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Lia Gentil & Guy Grenier & Helen-Maria Vasiliadis & Christophe Huỳnh & Marie-Josée Fleury, 2021. "Predictors of Recurrent High Emergency Department Use among Patients with Mental Disorders," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(9), pages 1-17, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Marie-Josée Fleury & Zhirong Cao & Guy Grenier, 2024. "Emergency Department Use among Patients with Mental Health Problems: Profiles, Correlates, and Outcomes," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(7), pages 1-18, June.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:21:y:2024:i:2:p:234-:d:1339970. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.