Factors Associated With Hospital Admission for Older Adults Receiving Care in U.S. Emergency Departments

Abstract

Background: Emergency departments (EDs) play a growing role in hospital admissions for older adults, yet nationally representative data on predictors of admission from the EDs are limited.

Methods: We examined sociodemographic, clinical, and hospital characteristics associated with non-ICU admissions, using National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey data and multivariate Poisson regression models.

Results: There were an estimated 175 million ED visits by adults older than 65 years from 2001 to 2010. Overall, 32.5% were admitted to non-ICU beds. In multivariate analysis, non-ICU admission was associated with increasing age (16% higher per 10-year increase in age), white versus black race (35% vs 31%), and EDs in the Northeast (40%) or Midwest (38%) versus South (31%) or West (30%).

Conclusion: Non-ICU admission rates for older adults receiving care in U.S. EDs vary by age, race, and region. Understanding the reasons for these disparities in hospitalization rates may guide interventions to reduce hospitalizations in older adults.

Keywords: Emergency department utilization; Health disparities; Hospitalization.