Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, UT 84158, USA.
Am J Emerg Med. 2012 Feb;30(2):275-82. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2010.11.027. Epub 2011 Jan 3.
Surges in patient volumes compromise emergency departments' (EDs') ability to deliver care, as shown by the recent H1N1 influenza (flu) epidemic. Media reports are important in informing the public about health threats, but the effects of media-induced anxiety on ED volumes are unclear.
The aim of this study is to examine the effect of widespread public concern about flu on ED use.
We reviewed ED data from an integrated health system operating 18 hospital EDs. We compared ED visits during three 1-week periods: (a) a period of heightened public concern regarding flu before the disease was present ("Fear Week"), (b) a subsequent period of active disease ("Flu Week"), and (c) a week before widespread concern ("Control Week"). Fear Week was identified from an analysis of statewide Google electronic searches for "swine flu" and from media announcements about flu. Flu Week was identified from statewide epidemiological data.
Data were reviewed from 22 608 visits during the study periods. Fear Week (n = 7712) and Flu Week (n = 7687) were compared to Control Week (n = 7209). Fear Week showed a 7.0% increase in visits (95% confidence interval, 6-8). Pediatric visits increased by 19.7%, whereas adult visits increased by 1%. Flu Week showed an increase over Control Week of 6.6% (95% confidence interval, 6-7). Pediatric visits increased by 10.6%, whereas adult visits increased by 4.8%.
At a time of heightened public concern regarding flu but little disease prevalence, EDs experienced substantial increases in patient volumes. These increases were significant and comparable to the increases experienced during the subsequent epidemic of actual disease.
正如最近的 H1N1 流感（流感）疫情所表明的那样，患者数量的激增使急诊部（ED）无法提供护理。媒体报道在向公众通报健康威胁方面很重要，但媒体引起的焦虑对 ED 量的影响尚不清楚。
本研究旨在研究公众对流感的广泛关注对 ED 使用的影响。
我们审查了一家运营 18 家医院 ED 的综合卫生系统的 ED 数据。我们比较了三个为期一周的 ED 就诊期：（a）在疾病出现之前公众对流感高度关注的时期（“恐惧周”），（b）随后的疾病活跃期（“流感周”），和（c）广泛关注之前的一周（“对照周”）。恐惧周是从全州范围内针对“猪流感”的 Google 电子搜索分析以及有关流感的媒体公告中确定的。流感周是从全州范围内的流行病学数据中确定的。
研究期间共审查了 22608 次就诊数据。将恐惧周（n=7712）和流感周（n=7687）与对照周（n=7209）进行比较。恐惧周就诊人数增加了 7.0%（95%置信区间，6-8）。儿科就诊人数增加了 19.7%，而成年就诊人数增加了 1%。流感周比对照周增加了 6.6%（95%置信区间，6-7）。儿科就诊人数增加了 10.6%，而成年就诊人数增加了 4.8%。
在公众对流感高度关注但疾病流行率低的时期，ED 经历了患者数量的大幅增加。这些增加是显著的，与随后实际疾病流行期间的增加相当。
