Table 1 Characteristics of patients assessed in the emergency department, by mode of transportation to emergency department, Ontario, Canada, April 1, 2015 to March 31, 2020
Characteristic | Paramedic Transport (n, %) n = 4,031,543 | Self-referral (n, %) n = 17,733,097 |
|---|---|---|
Sex | ||
Male | 1,865,952 (46.3) | 8,145,480 (46.0) |
Female | 2,165,591 (53.7) | 9,587,617 (54.0) |
Age, years | ||
18–39 | 747,598 (18.5) | 6,600,607 (37.2) |
40–64 | 1,134,367 (28.1) | 6,877,715 (38.8) |
65–105 | 2,149,578 (53.3) | 4,254,775 (24.0) |
Access to primary care | ||
Family physician | 3,485,471 (86.5) | 15,423,577 (87.0) |
Other physician classification | 30,590 (0.8) | 199,762 (1.1) |
None | 320,346 (7.9) | 1,573,982 (8.9) |
Unreported | 195,136 (4.8) | 535,776 (3.0) |
Triage Acuity, CTAS | ||
Emergent [1, 2] | 1,622,216 (40.2) | 3,352,710 (18.9) |
Urgent [3] | 2,062,831 (51.2) | 8,232,246 (46.4) |
Non-urgent [4, 5] | 346,496 (8.6) | 6,148,141 (34.7) |
Comorbidities, totala | ||
0–2 | 2,841,902 (70.5) | 15,581,739 (87.9) |
3–5 | 1,162,149 (28.8) | 2,120,884 (12.0) |
6–8 | 27,492 (0.7) | 30,474 (0.1) |
Diagnostic Category, ICD-10b, c | ||
A,B – Certain Infectious Diseases | 132,987 (3.3) | 590,440 (3.3) |
C – Neoplasms | 31,012 (0.8) | 61,791 (0.3) |
D – Disorders of Blood involving Immune System | 30,791 (0.8) | 123,797 (0.7) |
E – Endocrine, Nutrition, and Metabolic Disorders | 101,668 (2.5) | 175,735 (1.0) |
F – Mental and Behavioural Disorders | 363,032 (9.0) | 657,440 (3.7) |
G – Diseases of Nervous System | 103,126 (2.6) | 285,510 (1.6) |
H – Diseases of the Eye, Adnexa, Ear and Mastoid Process | 33,316 (0.8) | 593,309 (3.3) |
I – Diseases of the Circulatory System | 312,316 (7.7) | 659,170 (3.7) |
J – Diseases of the Respiratory System | 327,755 (8.1) | 1,481,326 (8.4) |
K – Diseases of the Digestive System | 213,696 (5.3) | 1,172,130 (6.6) |
L – Diseases of the Skin and Subcutaneous Tissue | 45,659 (1.1) | 796,004 (4.5) |
M – Diseases of the Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue | 186,194 (4.6) | 1,443,302 (8.1) |
N – Diseases of the Genitourinary System | 190,734 (4.7) | 1,131,151 (6.4) |
O – Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Puerperium | 14,521 (0.4) | 307,234 (1.7) |
P – Certain conditions origination in the Perinatal Period | 11 (0.0) | 228 (0.0) |
Q – Congenital Malformations, Deformations and Chromosomal Abnormalities | 405 (0.0) | 4178 (0.0) |
R – Symptoms, Signs and Abnormal Clinical and Laboratory Findings | 1,030,682 (25.6) | 3,521,524 (19.9) |
S,T – Injury, Poisoning and Certain Other Consequences of External Causes | 833,644 (20.7) | 3,704,644 (20.9) |
U – External Coucals of Morbidity and Mortality | 463 (0.0) | 1602 (0.0) |
Z – Factors Influencing Health Status and Contact with Health Services | 79,206 (2.0) | 1,019,098 (5.7) |
Unreported | 325 (0.0) | 3484 (0.0) |
Emergency Department Setting | ||
Urban | 3,603,896 (89.4) | 14,205,090 (80.1) |
Rural | 407,175 (10.1) | 3,474,669 (19.6) |
Unreported | 20,472 (0.5) | 53,338 (0.3) |
Visit outcome | ||
Admitted to receiving facility from ED | 1,411,377 (35.0) | 1,337,110 (7.5) |
Discharged from ED | 2,620,166 (65.0) | 16,395,987 (92.5) |
Returned to ED within 30 days of discharge | ||
Yes | 1,067,549 (26.5) | 4,228,087 (23.8) |
No | 2,963,994 (73.5) | 13,505,010 (76.2) |