title: Trends and characteristics of attendance at the emergency department of a Swiss university hospital: 2002-2012.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The numbers of people attending emergency departments (EDs) at hospitals are increasing. We aimed to analyse trends in ED attendance at a Swiss university hospital between 2002 and 2012, focussing on age-related differences and hospital admission criteria.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used hospital administrative data for all patients aged ≥16 years who attended the ED (n=298,306) at this university hospital between 1 January 2002, and 31 December 2012. We descriptively analysed the numbers of ED visits according to the admission year and stratified by age (≥65 vs <65 years).
  
  
  RESULTS
  People attending the ED were on average 46.6 years old (standard deviation 20 years, maximum range 16‒99 years). The annual number of ED attendances grew by n=6,639 (27.6%) from 24,080 in 2002 to 30,719 in 2012. In the subgroup of patients aged ≥65 the relative increase was 42.3%, which is significantly higher (Pearson's χ2=350.046, df=10; p=0.000) than the relative increase of 23.4% among patients<65 years. The subgroup of patients≥65 years attended the ED more often because of diseases (n=56,307; 85%) than accidents (n=9,844; 14.9%). This subgroup (patients≥65 years) was also more often admitted to hospital (Pearson's χ2=23,377.190; df=1; p=0.000) than patients<65 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ED attendance of patients≥65 years increased in absolute and relative terms. The study findings suggest that staff of this ED may want to assess the needs of patients≥65 years and, if necessary, adjust the services (e.g., adapted triage scales, adapted geriatric screenings, and adapted hospital admission criteria).
authors.affiliation: Department of Research and Development, Directorate of Nursing and Allied Health Professions, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, Switzerland; Institute of Higher Education and Research in Nursing, University of Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Maya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shaha
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, University of Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Selina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gmür
authors.affiliation: Division of Geriatrics, Department of General Internal Medicine, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, and University of Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Andreas W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Schoenenberger
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Fabienne Sarah
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Gerber
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Aristomenis K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Exadaktylos
mesh_terms: D000059:Accidents / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004194:Disease; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D006785:Hospitals, University / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013557:Switzerland; D055815:Young Adult