[Frequent attenders in Primary Health Care Centres and frequent attenders in Emergency Departments].

OBJECTIVE

To identify predictors of frequent attenders (HF) in Primary Health Care (PHC) centres in a sample of frequent attenders (HF) in Emergency Departments (ED).

DESIGN

This was an observational, retrospective, multicentre cohort study.

PARTICIPANTS

The HF patients were selected from patients seen in the ED between January 1 and December 31, 2013. Setting Patients were recruited from 17 public hospitals of the Community of Madrid, Spain.

METHOD

Variables on the index visit to the ED were collected. The sample was analysed in terms of being or not being an HF user in PHC. An HF user is considered a patient who made at least 10 visits in each level of care for a year.

RESULTS

A total of 1284 HF patients were included. An analysis was performed on 423 (32.9%) HF users in ED with 16 (12-25) visits to PHC vs. 861 (67.1%) non-HF users in ED, with 4 (2-6) visits to PHC. Independent predictors of HF in PHC: over 65 years (OR: 1.51; 95% CI: 1.07-2.13; P=.019), cognitive impairment (OR: 1.63; 95% CI: 1.01-2.65; P=.049), taking >3 drugs (OR: 1.56; 95% CI: 1.06-2.30; P=.025), and living in the community vs. nursing home or homeless (OR: 3.05; 95% CI: 1.14-8.16; P=.026).

CONCLUSIONS

Among HF patients in the ED, the fact that of being over 65 years, taking 3or more drugs, suffering cognitive impairment, and living in the community, are also considered to be predictors of HF in PHC.