Original Title: Portrait – Utilisateurs fréquents des urgences au Québec en 2022-2023

Authors' objectives: The aim of this study is to establish a profile of frequent emergency department users (FEDUs) based on Quebec clinical-administrative data. To achieve this, 2022–2023 data from the Common Emergency Department Database (BDCU) was analyzed, grouping FEDUs according to thresholds for frequent emergency department use ranging from three or more visits (FEDU 3+) to 12 or more visits (FEDU 12+) over the course of the year.

Authors' results and conclusions: RESLUTS: The analysis did not identify a specific threshold of emergency department (ED) visits that clearly define FEDUs. The number of individuals meeting the criteria for frequent use ranges from approximately 336,000 to 5,500 as the threshold increases from 3 to 12 or more ED visits per year. This variation follows a linear trend, without any marked inflection point that would justify selecting one threshold over another. The prevalence of FEDUs is significantly higher in remote regions. This disparity may reflect specific local healthcare delivery characteristics, including different accessibility and an expanded role of emergency departments in providing primary and urgent care services. Therefore, in remote regions, it may be appropriate to adopt a higher annual visit threshold to define FEDUs, in order to achieve proportions comparable to those observed in other settings. CONCLUSION: this study has established a preliminary profile of FEDUs in Quebec and clarified the influence of varying visit thresholds on their identification. Subsequent investigations by INESSS could focus on optimizing emergency services to define best practices for the management of FEDUs, particularly those presenting with complex mental health disorders.

Project Status: Completed

URL for project: https://www.inesss.qc.ca/publications/repertoire-des-publications/publication/portrait-utilisateurs-frequents-des-urgences-au-quebec-en-2022-2023.html

Year Published: 2025

URL for published report: https://www.inesss.qc.ca/publications/repertoire-des-publications/publication/portrait-utilisateurs-frequents-des-urgences-au-quebec-en-2022-2023.html

English language abstract: An English language summary is available

Publication Type: Other

Country: Canada

Province: Quebec

Organisation Name: Institut national d'excellence en sante et en services sociaux

Contact Address: L'Institut national d'excellence en sante et en services sociaux (INESSS) , 2021, avenue Union, bureau 10.083, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3A 2S9;Tel: 1+514-873-2563, Fax: 1+514-873-1369

Contact Name: demande@inesss.qc.ca

Contact Email: demande@inesss.qc.ca

Copyright: L'Institut national d'excellence en sante et en services sociaux (INESSS)