The aim of this study was to evaluate the demographic and clinical characteristics of Emergency Department (ED) visits made by Syrian refugees and to assess the cost of their healthcare. This retrospective study was conducted in adult Syrians who visited the ED of Adiyaman University Training and Research Hospital, Adiyaman Province, Turkey, between 01 January and 31 December 2015. We evaluated 10,529 Syrian refugees who visited the ED, of whom 9,842 were included in the study. The number of ED visits significantly increased in 2015 compared with 2010; the increase in the proportion of total ED visits was 8% (n = 11,275, dif: 8%, CI 95%: 7.9– 8.2, p < 0.001). Of this 8%, 6.5% were visits made by Syria refugees and the remaining 1.5% accounted for the visits made by other individuals. Upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) were the diseases most frequently presented (n = 4,656; 47.3%), and 68.5% of ED visits were inappropriate (n = 6,749). The median ED length of stay (LOS) of the Syrian refugees was significantly longer than that of the other individuals visiting the ED (p < 0.001). The total cost of the healthcare of the Syrian refugees who visited the ED was calculated as US$ 773,374.63. This study showed that Syrian refugees have increased the proportion of ED visits and the financial healthcare burden. The majority of ED visits made by Syrian refugees were inappropriate. In addition, their ED LOS was longer than that of other individuals making ED visits. © 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Turkey Length of stay emergency departments adult patients Adiyaman Cost health care Syrian refugees

hospital admission refugee Cost benefit analysis economics abdominal pain Syrian Arab Republic hospital discharge upper respiratory tract infection human Refugees middle aged Pelvic Pain Aged length of stay emergency ward Young Adult health care cost Humans Health Care Costs Adolescent myalgia male female Aged, 80 and over very elderly observational study Article Retrospective Studies Emergency Medical Services adult emergency health service Syria Turkey utilization retrospective study thorax pain hospital visit