[Patterns of contact with the out-of-hours service and emergency rooms by guest workers with immigrant and refugee background in Copenhagen municipality, 1998].

INTRODUCTION

Outside normal office hours, patients in Denmark with acute conditions are treated by the out-of-hours service connected to general practice and in the emergency rooms of hospitals. Little is known about the contact pattern of immigrants with these services. The purpose of this study was to compare the contact rates for immigrants (guest workers and refugees) and non-immigrants with out-of-hours service and emergency rooms and compare the results with the total number of contacts with general practice (out-of-hours service, daytime contacts) and emergency rooms.

MATERIALS AND METHOD

Data from 2,243,633 contacts in Copenhagen 1998 registered in the National Patient Registry and 112,733 visits to emergency units were merged with information about citizenship and place of birth in the Central Office of Civil Registration. The contacts were described by the average number of contacts per person at risk per year.

RESULTS

The contact rates with the out-of-hours service were significantly lower for immigrant children than for non-immigrants, whereas the number of visits to emergency rooms did not show any differences. For both sexes aged 19-59, the contact rates for out-of-hours service and emergency rooms were higher for immigrants. The total number of contacts was 31-11% lower for children and those 60+ years of age and 4-20% higher for 19- to 59-year-old immigrants.

CONCLUSION

Significant differences in the use of acute services by immigrants and non-immigrants were observed. Whether this is appropriate is questionable.