Table 1 Characteristics of patients attending the Emergency Department (ED) by visit frequency

Gender

Male

771

56.7

377

57.6

394

55.8

645

56.3

126

58.6

Female

589

43.3

277

42.4

312

44.2

500

43.7

89

41.4

χ² = 0.38, 1 df, p = 0.54

Age (years)

46.7 ± 18.8 (16–97)*

43.8 ± 17.9 (16–95)*

49.3 ± 19.2 (16–97)*

47.2 ± 18.8 (16–97)*

44.2 ± 18.5 (16–88)*

t test = 2.14, df = 1358, p = 0.033

Marital status

Married

865

63.6

413

63.1

452

64

738

64.4

127

59.1

Other

495

36.4

241

36.9

254

36

407

35.6

88

40.9

χ² = 2.27, 1 df, p = 0.13

Educational level (years of schooling)

8.1 ± 4 (0–23)*

8.7 ± 4.2 (0–23)*

7.6 ± 3.7 (0–20)*

8.1 ± 4 (0–23)*

8.1 ± 3.8 (0–18)*

t test = 0.18, df = 1358, p = 0.86

Number of other persons in the household

0

115

8.5

45

6.9

70

9.9

99

8.6

16

7.4

1

221

16.2

88

13.5

133

18.8

184

16.1

37

17.2

2

298

21.9

165

25.2

133

18.8

254

22.2

44

20.5

3

359

26.4

182

27.8

177

25.1

292

25.5

67

31.2

4

367

27

174

26.6

193

27.4

316

27.6

51

23.7

χ² = 3.9, 4 df, p = 0.42

Employment status

Unemployed

811

59.6

355

54.3

456

64.6

678

59.2

133

61.9

Employed

549

40.4

299

45.7

250

35.4

467

40.8

82

38.1

χ² = 0.53, 1 df, p = 0.47

Distance from patients' home to hospital (Km)

< 1

819

60.2

372

56.9

447

63.3

686

59.9

133

61.9

1–10

332

24.4

169

25.8

163

23.1

278

24.3

54

25.1

> 10

209

15.4

113

17.3

96

13.6

181

15.8

28

13

χ² = 1.08, 2 df, p = 0.58

Day of the week of attending the ED

Monday-Friday

1193

87.7

598

91.4

595

84.3

1015

88.6

178

82.8

Saturday-Sunday

167

12.3

56

8.6

111

15.7

130

11.4

37

17.2

χ² = 5.76, 1 df, p = 0.016

Arrival time at the ED

8.00 AM-1.59 PM

796

58.5

389

59.5

407

57.6

668

58.3

128

59.5

2.00 PM-7.59 AM

564

41.5

265

40.5

299

42.4

477

41.7

87

40.5

χ² = 0.11, 1 df, p = 0.74

Mode of transportation to the ED

Ambulance

82

6

43

6.6

39

5.5

76

6.6

6

2.8

Car driven by other person

1011

74.4

479

73.2

532

75.4

844

73.7

167

77.7

Car driven by patient/On foot

267

19.6

132

20.2

135

19.1

225

19.7

42

19.5

χ² = 4.83, 2 df, p = 0.09

On pharmacological treatment

Yes

513

37.7

186

28.4

327

46.3

444

38.8

69

32.1

No

847

62.3

468

71.6

379

53.7

701

61.2

146

67.9

χ² = 3.44, 1 df, p = 0.06

Charlson et al. comorbidity index

0.5 ± 1 (0–8)*

0.3 ± 0.8 (0–6)*

0.6 ± 1.1 (0–8)*

0.5 ± 1 (0–8)*

0.4 ± 1 (0–6)*

t test = 1.05, df = 1358, p = 0.29

Basic Activities of Daily Living score

5.7 ± 1.1 (0–6)*

5.9 ± 0.8 (0–6)*

5.6 ± 1.3 (0–6)*

5.7 ± 1.1 (0–6)*

5.7 ± 1.1 (0–6)*

t test = -0.28, df = 1358, p = 0.78

Referral to the ED

Physician

110

8.1

45

6.9

65

9.2

75

6.6

35

16.3

Self/relatives

1250

91.9

609

93.1

641

90.8

1070

93.4

180

83.7

χ² = 23.05, 1 df, p < 0.001

Principal reason for attending the ED

Non-traumatic injuries

998

73.4

418

63.9

580

82.1

835

72.9

163

75.8

Traumatic injuries

362

26.6

236

36.1

126

17.9

310

27.1

52

24.2

χ² = 0.77, 1 df, p = 0.38

Duration of presenting problem prior to arrive at the ED (hours)

< 1

474

34.9

272

41.6

202

28.6

431

37.6

43

20

1–24

610

44.8

288

44

322

45.6

499

43.6

111

51.6

> 24

276

20.3

94

14.4

182

25.8

215

18.8

61

28.4

χ² = 26.99, 2 df, p < 0.001

Diagnostic investigation(s) received at the ED

Yes

758

55.7

376

57.5

382

54.1

656

57.3

102

47.4

No

602

44.3

278

42.5

324

45.9

489

42.7

113

52.6

χ² = 7.01, 1 df, p = 0.008

Therapeutic procedure(s) received at the ED

Yes

711

52.3

327

50

384

54.4

615

53.7

96

44.7

No

649

47.7

327

50

322

45.6

530

46.3

119

55.3

χ² = 5.96, 1 df, p = 0.015

Physician consultation(s) received at the ED

Yes

701

51.5

302

46.2

399

56.5

574

50.1

127

59.1

No

659

48.5

352

53.8

307

43.5

571

49.9

88

40.9

χ² = 5.79, 1 df, p = 0.016

Level of urgent care

Emergency

428

31.5

219

33.5

209

29.6

363

31.7

65

30.2

Urgent

654

48.1

308

47.1

346

49

554

48.4

100

46.5

Non-urgent

278

20.4

127

19.4

151

21.4

228

19.9

50

23.3

χ² = 1.25, 2 df, p = 0.54

ED discharge diagnosis

Medical

691

50.8

284

43.4

407

57.6

595

52

96

44.7

Surgical

669

49.2

370

56.6

299

42.4

550

48

119

55.3

χ² = 3.87, 1 df, p = 0.049

Hospital admission after ED visit

Yes

203

14.9

80

12.2

123

17.4

162

14.2

41

19.1

No

1157

85.1

574

87.8

583

82.6

983

85.8

174

80.9

χ² = 3.45, 1 df, p = 0.06

Prescription of therapy

Yes

772

56.8

407

62.2

365

51.7

672

58.7

100

46.5

No

588

43.2

247

37.8

341

48.3

473

41.3

115

53.5

χ² = 10.94, 1 df, p = 0.001

Prescription of physician examination(s)

Yes

511

37.6

241

36.9

270

38.2

428

37.4

83

38.6

No

849

62.4

413

63.1

436

61.8

717

62.6

132

61.4

χ² = 0.12, 1 df, p = 0.73

Number of ED visits in the previous year

1

654

48.1

-

-

-

-

654

57.1

-

-

2

536

39.4

-

-

536

75.9

376

32.8

160

74.4

3

148

10.9

-

-

148

21

106

9.3

42

19.5

≥4

22

1.6

-

-

22

3.1

9

0.8

13

6.1

χ² = 250.74, 3 df, p < 0.001