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. 2024 Aug;19(4):55-69.
doi: 10.12927/hcpol.2024.27333.

Reasons for High Emergency Department Use Among Patients With Common Mental Disorders or Substance-Related Disorders

Karine-MichÈle Dion  1 , Francine Ferland  2 , Lambert Farand  3 , Lise Gauvin  4 , Marie-JosÉe Fleury  5
Affiliations

Reasons for High Emergency Department Use Among Patients With Common Mental Disorders or Substance-Related Disorders

Karine-MichÈle Dion et al. Healthc Policy. 2024 Aug.

Abstract
in English, French

Aims: This study examined the reasons for high emergency department (ED) use among patients with common mental disorders (MDs), substance-related disorders (SRDs) or co-occurring MDs-SRDs.

Method: Following content analysis, 42 high ED users (three-plus visits/year) recruited in two Quebec EDs were interviewed.

Results: The reasons included barriers to outpatient care, patient disabilities and professional practices. Patients with SRDs trust outpatient services less, those with MDs had important unmet needs and those with MDs-SRDs faced care coordination issues.

Conclusion: Improvements such as ED use monitoring, consolidating MD-SRD practices and continuous training are needed in EDs and outpatient services to enhance access and continuity of care.

Objectifs:: Cette étude examine les raisons de recours fréquent aux services d'urgences (SU) chez les patients ayant des troubles mentaux courants (TMC), des troubles liés aux substances psychoactives (TLS) ou des TMC-TLS concomitants.

Méthode:: Fondée sur l'analyse de contenu, les données de 42 grands utilisateurs des SU (plus de trois visites/an), recrutés dans deux SU du Québec, ont été collectées.

Résultats:: Les raisons d'utilisation fréquente sont liées, notamment, aux obstacles d'accès aux soins ambulatoires, aux limitations des patients et aux pratiques professionnelles. Les patients avec des TLS font moins confiance aux services ambulatoires, ceux avec des TMC ont des besoins importants non satisfaits et ceux avec des TMC-TLS sont confrontés à des problèmes de coordination des soins.

Conclusion:: Des améliorations telles que la surveillance de l'utilisation des SU, la consolidation des pratiques pour les TMC-TLS et la formation continue sont nécessaires dans les SU et les services ambulatoires pour améliorer l'accès et la continuité des soins.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Conceptual framework of reasons reported by patients for high emergency department use
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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