frequent-ED-visits - Health Quality Ontario (HQO)

INDICATOR NAME

Name

Frequent Emergency Department Visits for Mental Health and/or Addictions Reasons

Alternate Name

Percentage of people with four or more visits over the previous 12 months, among people who visited the emergency department for a mental illness or addiction

INDICATOR DESCRIPTION

Description

This indicator measures the percentage of people with four or more visits over the previous 12 months, among people who visited the emergency department for a mental illness or addiction

HQO Reporting tool/product

Public Reports (annual report, bulletins and theme reports)

Dimension

Effective

Type

Outcome

DEFINITION AND SOURCE INFORMATION

Unit of Measurement

Percentage

Calculation Methods

Numerator divided by the denominator times 100

Numerator (short description i.e. not inclusions/exclusions)

Number of individuals who had at least one emergency department visit for mental health and/or addictions (MHA) in a given year

Denominator (short description i.e. not inclusions/exclusions)

Total number of individuals in the denominator who had at least four emergency department visits for mental health and/or addiction in a 365-day period prior to their most recent visit in a given year

Adjustment (risk, age/sex standardization)- generalized

Age and sex standardized

Data Source

National Ambulatory Care Reporting System (NACRS), Registered Persons Database (RPDB)

Data provided to HQO by

Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC)

OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION

Caveats and Limitations

Complete diagnoses in EDs are not always possible and tend to reflect symptoms or problems instead, which may lead to an under-estimate of conditions included in the indicator. Addiction- and substance-related visits may be underestimated, as poisonings are not included in the indicator.