title: Emergency department use by people with HIV in Ontario: a population-based cohort study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Emergency department use may reflect poor access to primary care. Our objective was to compare rates and causes of emergency department use between adults living with and without HIV.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a population-based study involving Ontario residents living with and without HIV between Apr. 1, 2011, and Mar. 31, 2012. We frequency matched adults with HIV to 4 HIV-negative people by age, sex and census division, and used random-effects negative binomial regression to compare rates of emergency department use. We classified visits as low urgency or high urgency, and also examined visits for ambulatory care sensitive conditions. Hospital admission following an emergency department visit was a secondary outcome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified 14 534 people with HIV and 58 136 HIV-negative individuals. Rates of emergency department use were higher among people with HIV (67.3 v. 31.2 visits per 100 person-years; adjusted rate ratio 1.58, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.51-1.65). Similar results were observed for low-urgency visits. With the exception of hypertension, visit rates for ambulatory care sensitive conditions were higher among people with HIV. People with HIV were also more likely than HIV-negative individuals to be admitted to hospital following an emergency department visit (adjusted odds ratio 1.55, 95% CI 1.43-1.69).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compared with HIV-negative individuals, people with HIV had high rates of emergency department use, including potentially avoidable visits. These findings strongly support the need for comprehensive care for people with HIV.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (Ng, Kendall, Loutfy, Raboud, Glazier, Antoniou), Toronto, Ont.; Department of Family Medicine (Kendall), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.; C.T. Lamont Primary Health Care Research Centre (Kendall), Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, Ont.; Dalla Lana School of Public Health (Burchell, Raboud), University of Toronto; Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute (Burchell, Bayoumi, Antoniou), St. Michael's Hospital; Department of Family and Community Medicine (Burchell, Glazier, Antoniou), St. Michael's Hospital and University of Toronto; Centre for Research on Inner City Health (Bayoumi, Rourke), St. Michael's Hospital; Department of Medicine (Bayoumi, Loutfy), University of Toronto; Women's College Research Institute (Loutfy), Women's College Hospital; Toronto General Research Institute (Raboud), University Health Network; Department of Psychiatry (Rourke), University of Toronto; Ontario HIV Treatment Network (Rourke), Toronto, Ont.
authors.forename: Ryan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.affiliation: Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (Ng, Kendall, Loutfy, Raboud, Glazier, Antoniou), Toronto, Ont.; Department of Family Medicine (Kendall), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.; C.T. Lamont Primary Health Care Research Centre (Kendall), Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, Ont.; Dalla Lana School of Public Health (Burchell, Raboud), University of Toronto; Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute (Burchell, Bayoumi, Antoniou), St. Michael's Hospital; Department of Family and Community Medicine (Burchell, Glazier, Antoniou), St. Michael's Hospital and University of Toronto; Centre for Research on Inner City Health (Bayoumi, Rourke), St. Michael's Hospital; Department of Medicine (Bayoumi, Loutfy), University of Toronto; Women's College Research Institute (Loutfy), Women's College Hospital; Toronto General Research Institute (Raboud), University Health Network; Department of Psychiatry (Rourke), University of Toronto; Ontario HIV Treatment Network (Rourke), Toronto, Ont.
authors.forename: Claire E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Kendall
authors.affiliation: Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (Ng, Kendall, Loutfy, Raboud, Glazier, Antoniou), Toronto, Ont.; Department of Family Medicine (Kendall), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.; C.T. Lamont Primary Health Care Research Centre (Kendall), Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, Ont.; Dalla Lana School of Public Health (Burchell, Raboud), University of Toronto; Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute (Burchell, Bayoumi, Antoniou), St. Michael's Hospital; Department of Family and Community Medicine (Burchell, Glazier, Antoniou), St. Michael's Hospital and University of Toronto; Centre for Research on Inner City Health (Bayoumi, Rourke), St. Michael's Hospital; Department of Medicine (Bayoumi, Loutfy), University of Toronto; Women's College Research Institute (Loutfy), Women's College Hospital; Toronto General Research Institute (Raboud), University Health Network; Department of Psychiatry (Rourke), University of Toronto; Ontario HIV Treatment Network (Rourke), Toronto, Ont.
authors.forename: Ann N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Burchell
authors.affiliation: Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (Ng, Kendall, Loutfy, Raboud, Glazier, Antoniou), Toronto, Ont.; Department of Family Medicine (Kendall), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.; C.T. Lamont Primary Health Care Research Centre (Kendall), Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, Ont.; Dalla Lana School of Public Health (Burchell, Raboud), University of Toronto; Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute (Burchell, Bayoumi, Antoniou), St. Michael's Hospital; Department of Family and Community Medicine (Burchell, Glazier, Antoniou), St. Michael's Hospital and University of Toronto; Centre for Research on Inner City Health (Bayoumi, Rourke), St. Michael's Hospital; Department of Medicine (Bayoumi, Loutfy), University of Toronto; Women's College Research Institute (Loutfy), Women's College Hospital; Toronto General Research Institute (Raboud), University Health Network; Department of Psychiatry (Rourke), University of Toronto; Ontario HIV Treatment Network (Rourke), Toronto, Ont.
authors.forename: Ahmed M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Bayoumi
authors.affiliation: Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (Ng, Kendall, Loutfy, Raboud, Glazier, Antoniou), Toronto, Ont.; Department of Family Medicine (Kendall), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.; C.T. Lamont Primary Health Care Research Centre (Kendall), Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, Ont.; Dalla Lana School of Public Health (Burchell, Raboud), University of Toronto; Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute (Burchell, Bayoumi, Antoniou), St. Michael's Hospital; Department of Family and Community Medicine (Burchell, Glazier, Antoniou), St. Michael's Hospital and University of Toronto; Centre for Research on Inner City Health (Bayoumi, Rourke), St. Michael's Hospital; Department of Medicine (Bayoumi, Loutfy), University of Toronto; Women's College Research Institute (Loutfy), Women's College Hospital; Toronto General Research Institute (Raboud), University Health Network; Department of Psychiatry (Rourke), University of Toronto; Ontario HIV Treatment Network (Rourke), Toronto, Ont.
authors.forename: Mona R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Loutfy
authors.affiliation: Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (Ng, Kendall, Loutfy, Raboud, Glazier, Antoniou), Toronto, Ont.; Department of Family Medicine (Kendall), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.; C.T. Lamont Primary Health Care Research Centre (Kendall), Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, Ont.; Dalla Lana School of Public Health (Burchell, Raboud), University of Toronto; Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute (Burchell, Bayoumi, Antoniou), St. Michael's Hospital; Department of Family and Community Medicine (Burchell, Glazier, Antoniou), St. Michael's Hospital and University of Toronto; Centre for Research on Inner City Health (Bayoumi, Rourke), St. Michael's Hospital; Department of Medicine (Bayoumi, Loutfy), University of Toronto; Women's College Research Institute (Loutfy), Women's College Hospital; Toronto General Research Institute (Raboud), University Health Network; Department of Psychiatry (Rourke), University of Toronto; Ontario HIV Treatment Network (Rourke), Toronto, Ont.
authors.forename: Janet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Raboud
authors.affiliation: Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (Ng, Kendall, Loutfy, Raboud, Glazier, Antoniou), Toronto, Ont.; Department of Family Medicine (Kendall), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.; C.T. Lamont Primary Health Care Research Centre (Kendall), Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, Ont.; Dalla Lana School of Public Health (Burchell, Raboud), University of Toronto; Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute (Burchell, Bayoumi, Antoniou), St. Michael's Hospital; Department of Family and Community Medicine (Burchell, Glazier, Antoniou), St. Michael's Hospital and University of Toronto; Centre for Research on Inner City Health (Bayoumi, Rourke), St. Michael's Hospital; Department of Medicine (Bayoumi, Loutfy), University of Toronto; Women's College Research Institute (Loutfy), Women's College Hospital; Toronto General Research Institute (Raboud), University Health Network; Department of Psychiatry (Rourke), University of Toronto; Ontario HIV Treatment Network (Rourke), Toronto, Ont.
authors.forename: Richard H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Glazier
authors.affiliation: Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (Ng, Kendall, Loutfy, Raboud, Glazier, Antoniou), Toronto, Ont.; Department of Family Medicine (Kendall), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.; C.T. Lamont Primary Health Care Research Centre (Kendall), Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, Ont.; Dalla Lana School of Public Health (Burchell, Raboud), University of Toronto; Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute (Burchell, Bayoumi, Antoniou), St. Michael's Hospital; Department of Family and Community Medicine (Burchell, Glazier, Antoniou), St. Michael's Hospital and University of Toronto; Centre for Research on Inner City Health (Bayoumi, Rourke), St. Michael's Hospital; Department of Medicine (Bayoumi, Loutfy), University of Toronto; Women's College Research Institute (Loutfy), Women's College Hospital; Toronto General Research Institute (Raboud), University Health Network; Department of Psychiatry (Rourke), University of Toronto; Ontario HIV Treatment Network (Rourke), Toronto, Ont.
authors.forename: Sean
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rourke
authors.affiliation: Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (Ng, Kendall, Loutfy, Raboud, Glazier, Antoniou), Toronto, Ont.; Department of Family Medicine (Kendall), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.; C.T. Lamont Primary Health Care Research Centre (Kendall), Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, Ont.; Dalla Lana School of Public Health (Burchell, Raboud), University of Toronto; Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute (Burchell, Bayoumi, Antoniou), St. Michael's Hospital; Department of Family and Community Medicine (Burchell, Glazier, Antoniou), St. Michael's Hospital and University of Toronto; Centre for Research on Inner City Health (Bayoumi, Rourke), St. Michael's Hospital; Department of Medicine (Bayoumi, Loutfy), University of Toronto; Women's College Research Institute (Loutfy), Women's College Hospital; Toronto General Research Institute (Raboud), University Health Network; Department of Psychiatry (Rourke), University of Toronto; Ontario HIV Treatment Network (Rourke), Toronto, Ont.
authors.forename: Tony
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Antoniou