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Repeat Emergency Visits for Mental Health Patients: Before and during the Covid19 pandemic

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 September 2022

R. Tempier  and
E.M. Bouattane
R. Tempier
Affiliation:
University of Ottawa, Psychiatry, Ottawa, Canada
E.M. Bouattane*
Affiliation:
Montfort Hospital, Administration, ottawa, Canada
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

Frequent users of Emergency Departments (EDs) are a diverse group accounting for disproportionate EDs visits. Psychiatric patients are more likely to visit EDs (Slankamenac, 2020). EDs utilisation by psychiatric patients increased by 4.4% during COVID-19 pandemic.

Objectives

to determine frequent users characteristics within an Ottawa University Hospital, and assess Covid19 impact on overutilization of EDs compared to other hospitals.

Methods

Retrospective study of repeat visits characteristics, data extracted from EMR database. Repeat visits defined as no less than 30 days first visit to any EDs. Period of observation: March 1st, 2018 - February 28th, 2021 Results.

Results

64% EDS visits for MH, 35% for addictions. More men (57%), age groups: 16-34 y.o. (41%), 34-64 y.o. (51%), 65 +y.o. (8%).

Top presenting reasons: suicidality, self-harm, depression (40.5%). Anxiety, situational crisis (16%), bizarre behavior (12%).

Most prevalent diagnoses: schizophrenia (28.7%), stress and anxiety (25.2%), personality disorders (13.5%) and depressive episode (10.6%). Only 35.1% admitted after repeat ED visits, 35.1% came by ambulance. Increase during peak pandemic exceeding 20%. Clearly pandemic created more pressures for MH services needs.

Conclusions

Schizophrenia and personality disorders made most prevalent diagnostic groups. Even when patients are in acute needs, they do not always require hospitalization. Investigating what MH conditions that got more stressed by the Covid19 pandemic will be of interest.

Disclosure

No significant relationships.

Type
Abstract
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 65 , Special Issue S1: Abstracts of the 30th European Congress of Psychiatry , June 2022 , pp. S276
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the European Psychiatric Association
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