Scandinavian Journal of Public Health
Volume 32, Issue 1, 2004, Pages 53-59

Emergency room utilization in Copenhagen: A comparison of immigrant groups and Danish-born residents (Article)

Norredam M. , Krasnik A.* , Michaelsen J.J. , Nielsen A.S. , Sorensen T.M. , Keiding N.
  • a Department of Health Services Research, Institute of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Clinical Unit of Preventive Medicine and Health Promotion, Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
  • b Department of Health Services Research, Institute of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Clinical Unit of Preventive Medicine and Health Promotion, Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
  • c Department of Health Services Research, Institute of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Clinical Unit of Preventive Medicine and Health Promotion, Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
  • d Department of Health Services Research, Institute of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Clinical Unit of Preventive Medicine and Health Promotion, Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
  • e Department of Biostatistics, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
  • f Department of Biostatistics, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

Abstract

Background: The aim of the study was to investigate whether utilization of the emergency room differed between immigrant groups and Danish-born residents in Copenhagen, Denmark. Methods: The authors compared the number of emergency room contacts during 1997 among different ethnic groups in the study population. Data were provided by the Statistical Office of the Municipality of Copenhagen. The study population consisted of 183,478 citizens residing in the catchment area of Bispebjerg Hospital in Copenhagen on 1 January 1998. “Contacts” included 22,026 visits made to the emergency room at Bispebjerg Hospital during 1997. Both the study population and “contacts” were characterized by gender, age, income, and country of birth. The immigrants comprised nine ethnic groups according to country of birth. Data were analysed by Poisson regression comparing rate ratios. Results: Persons born in Somalia, Turkey, and ex-Yugoslavia had higher utilization rates of emergency room than Danish-born residents. All other non-Western-born residents had utilization rates similar to Danish-born residents. Persons born in other Western and European countries showed a tendency towards less utilization. Conclusion: Higher utilization rates among some immigrant groups may be explained by disparities in health or lack of knowledge about the Danish healthcare system as well as barriers to seeking primary care including language, fear of discrimination, and low satisfaction with primary care. The challenge remains to identify these causal relations, and to find out why utilization patterns vary between immigrant groups. © 2004, Sage Publications. All rights reserved.

Author Keywords

immigrants Healthcare utilization Denmark emergency room equity ethnic minorities

Index Keywords

immigrant primary medical care regression analysis minority group diagnosis related group Diagnosis-Related Groups human middle aged statistics Denmark ethnic group Turkey (republic) priority journal controlled study comparative study Aged Yugoslavia emergency ward language ethnology Humans Cross-Cultural Comparison Minority Groups male female Socioeconomic Factors socioeconomics cultural factor patient satisfaction Health Status Indicators Article adult migration emergency health service Somalia Catchment Area (Health) Utilization Review patient attitude Emergency Service, Hospital Emigration and Immigration hospital utilization Patient Acceptance of Health Care Poisson distribution residential care social class Health Services Accessibility health care delivery health survey
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-3843114706&doi=10.1080%2f14034940310001659&partnerID=40&md5=81f2815ba7305f079c3dbfe2cbe32324
DOI: 10.1080/14034940310001659
ISSN: 14034948
Cited by: 82
Original Language: English