BMC Health Services Research
Volume 8, 2008

Emergency hospital services utilization in Lleida (Spain): A cross-sectional study of immigrant and Spanish-born populations (Article) (Open Access)

Rué M.* , Cabré X. , Soler-González J. , Bosch A. , Almirall M. , Serna M.C.
  • a Biomedical Research Institut, IRBLleida, Lleida, Spain, University of Lleida, Lleida, Spain
  • b Biomedical Research Institut, IRBLleida, Lleida, Spain, Hospital Universitari Arnau de Vilanova, Lleida, Spain
  • c Rambla de Ferran Health Center, Institut Català de la Salut, Lleida, Spain
  • d University of Lleida, Lleida, Spain
  • e Biomedical Research Institut, IRBLleida, Lleida, Spain, Hospital Universitari Arnau de Vilanova, Lleida, Spain
  • f Regional Primary Care Management Office, Institut Català de la Salut, Lleida, Spain

Abstract

Background. The use of emergency hospital services (EHS) has increased steadily in Spain in the last decade while the number of immigrants has increased dramatically. Studies show that immigrants use EHS differently than native-born individuals, and this work investigates demographics, diagnoses and utilization rates of EHS in Lleida (Spain). Methods. Cross-sectional study of all the 96,916 EHS visits by patients 15 to 64 years old, attended during the years 2004 and 2005 in a public teaching hospital. Demographic data, diagnoses of the EHS visits, frequency of hospital admissions, mortality and diagnoses at hospital discharge were obtained. Utilization rates were estimated by group of origin. Poisson regression was used to estimate the rate ratios of being visited in the EHS with respect to the Spanish-born population. Results. Immigrants from low-income countries use EHS services more than the Spanish-born population. Differences in utilization patterns are particularly marked for Maghrebi men and women and sub-Saharan women. Immigrant males are at lower risk of being admitted to the hospital, as compared with Spanish-born males. On the other hand, immigrant women are at higher risk of being admitted. After excluding the visits with gynecologic and obstetric diagnoses, women from sub-Saharan Africa and the Maghreb are still at a higher risk of being admitted than their Spanish-born counterparts. Conclusion. In Lleida (Spain), immigrants use more EHS than the Spanish born population. Future research should indicate whether the same pattern is found in other areas of Spain and whether EHS use is attributable to health needs, barriers to access to the primary care services or similarities in the way immigrants access health care in their countries of origin. © 2008 Rué et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

hospital admission emergency immigrant South and Central America Latin America regression analysis lowest income group Hospitals, Public population demography hospital discharge sex ratio human Patient Discharge sex difference middle aged statistics controlled study comparative study ethnology Hospitals, Teaching Cross-Sectional Studies cross-sectional study Hospital Mortality Humans Adolescent male Spain female risk factor Risk Factors Africa high risk population public hospital teaching hospital Article gynecological examination health care utilization major clinical study adult migration emergency health service Sex Distribution Patient Admission Utilization Review Emergency Service, Hospital Emigration and Immigration Emergencies Poisson distribution mortality

Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-42549154927&doi=10.1186%2f1472-6963-8-81&partnerID=40&md5=b3eeda143799ec1c172a39af4737c583

DOI: 10.1186/1472-6963-8-81
ISSN: 14726963
Cited by: 54
Original Language: English