BACKGROUND： Emergency departments （EDs） are critical to the management of acute illnessand injury, and the provision of health system access. However, EDs have become increasinglycongested due to increased demand, ...BACKGROUND： Emergency departments （EDs） are critical to the management of acute illnessand injury, and the provision of health system access. However, EDs have become increasinglycongested due to increased demand, increased complexity of care and blocked access to ongoingcare （access block）. Congestion has clinical and organisational implications. This paper aims todescribe the factors that appear to infl uence demand for ED services, and their interrelationships asthe basis for further research into the role of private hospital EDs.DATA SOURCES： Multiple databases （PubMed, ProQuest, Academic Search Elite and ScienceDirect） and relevant journals were searched using terms related to EDs and emergency health needs.Literature pertaining to emergency department utilisation worldwide was identified, and articlesselected for further examination on the basis of their relevance and signifi cance to ED demand.RESULTS： Factors influencing ED demand can be categorized into those describing thehealth needs of the patients, those predisposing a patient to seeking help, and those relating topolicy factors such as provision of services and insurance status. This paper describes the factorsinfl uencing ED presentations, and proposes a novel conceptual map of their interrelationship.CONCLUSION： This review has explored the factors contributing to the growing demand forED care, the infl uence these factors have on ED demand, and their interrelationships depicted in theconceptual model.展开更多
文摘BACKGROUND： Emergency departments （EDs） are critical to the management of acute illnessand injury, and the provision of health system access. However, EDs have become increasinglycongested due to increased demand, increased complexity of care and blocked access to ongoingcare （access block）. Congestion has clinical and organisational implications. This paper aims todescribe the factors that appear to infl uence demand for ED services, and their interrelationships asthe basis for further research into the role of private hospital EDs.DATA SOURCES： Multiple databases （PubMed, ProQuest, Academic Search Elite and ScienceDirect） and relevant journals were searched using terms related to EDs and emergency health needs.Literature pertaining to emergency department utilisation worldwide was identified, and articlesselected for further examination on the basis of their relevance and signifi cance to ED demand.RESULTS： Factors influencing ED demand can be categorized into those describing thehealth needs of the patients, those predisposing a patient to seeking help, and those relating topolicy factors such as provision of services and insurance status. This paper describes the factorsinfl uencing ED presentations, and proposes a novel conceptual map of their interrelationship.CONCLUSION： This review has explored the factors contributing to the growing demand forED care, the infl uence these factors have on ED demand, and their interrelationships depicted in theconceptual model.
