Profile of Users and Adequacy of Hospital Emergency Services in Response to Healthcare Demand Among Population Aged 65 Years and over

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to describe the profile and identify the clinical and sociodemographic factors associated with emergency department (ED) use among patients aged ≥65 years. Methods: This was a retrospective cross-sectional study of patients aged ≥65 years who were seen in the emergency department of the Hospital de Mérida (Spain) in 2019, the year before the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Descriptive statistics were calculated for dependent variables such as hours of ED stay, total number of visits, reasons for discharge, and diagnostic specialty, disaggregated by gender, season, age group, day type (work or holiday), shift, and population area (rural or urban). Results: Significant differences in ED hours were found according to gender (p < 0.001), season (p = 0.024), age group (p < 0.001), attention shift (p < 0.001), and population area (p = 0.003). Discharge to home was the most common destination (63.5%), followed by hospital admission (25.7%). Admissions for gastrointestinal surgery and neurology were predominant in men, and admissions for internal medicine and trauma were predominant in women. Patients aged 65–79 years were admitted to internal medicine, and those over 80 years were admitted to cardiology. Among patients who presented to the hospital’s emergency department and required admission, 51.5% were men aged ≥ 75 years, rising to 53.3% among those aged 65 to 74 years. The clinical areas were related to cardiology (27.67%) and pneumology (20.63%). Conclusions: Demands for ED care in those over 65 years of age are associated with sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, which can be used to better plan and manage resources and improve user satisfaction.