Diagnostic profile of ED frequent attender patients* by duration of frequent attendance and age group (% of patients)
| % of patients | Temporary frequent attender (frequent attender in one 12-month period) | Repeat frequent attender (frequent attender in two 12-month periods) | Persistent frequent attender (frequent attender in three or more 12-month periods) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Age group† | Age group | Age group | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 0–4 | 5–15 | 16–24 | 25–44 | 45–64 | 65–74 | 75+ | All | 0–4 | 5–15 | 16–24 | 25–44 | 45–64 | 65–74 | 75+ | All | 0–4 | 5–15 | 16–24 | 25–44 | 45–64 | 65–74 | 75+ | All | |
| N persons | 711 | 615 | 791 | 1387 | 1291 | 850 | 1221 | 6866 | 63 | 98 | 138 | 268 | 242 | 139 | 156 | 1104 | 14 | 55 | 75 | 212 | 144 | 53 | 54 | 607 |
| Most common major diagnostic block | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alcohol/drug abuse and alcohol/drug-induced mental disorders | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | ‡ | 2.6 | 2.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | ‡ | 2.8 | 4.2 | ‡ | 0.0 | 2.3 |
| Circulatory system illness | ‡ | 1.3 | 3.5 | 5.5 | 17.5 | 24.4 | 23.7 | 12.2 | 0.0 | 5.1 | ‡ | 4.5 | 15.3 | 25.2 | 32.7 | 13.0 | 0.0 | ‡ | ‡ | 7.6 | 18.1 | 28.3 | 14.8 | 11.5 |
| Digestive system illness | 12.2 | 18.5 | 21.4 | 15.9 | 14.4 | 12.0 | 13.6 | 15.2 | 14.3 | 22.5 | 26.8 | 15.7 | 19.4 | 13.8 | 9.6 | 17.6 | ‡ | 36.4 | 26.7 | 18.4 | 16.7 | 15.1 | 14.8 | 19.9 |
| Endocrine, nutritional and metabolic system illness | ‡ | 0.8 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 0.9 | ‡ | ‡ | ‡ | ‡ | 2.1 | ‡ | ‡ | 1.4 | 0.0 | ‡ | ‡ | ‡ | ‡ | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.3 |
| Illness of skin, subcutaneous tissue, breast | 2.0 | 4.7 | 5.6 | 7.1 | 5.4 | 3.3 | 2.9 | 4.7 | ‡ | ‡ | 5.1 | 5.6 | 2.9 | ‡ | ‡ | 3.4 | 0.0 | ‡ | ‡ | 4.3 | ‡ | 0.0 | ‡ | 2.6 |
| Injury, single site, major | 14.5 | 31.7 | 20.0 | 13.4 | 6.3 | 3.9 | 6.2 | 12.1 | ‡ | 21.4 | 7.3 | 12.7 | 2.1 | ‡ | 5.8 | 7.7 | ‡ | 21.8 | ‡ | 7.6 | 3.5 | 0.0 | ‡ | 6.9 |
| Musculoskeletal /connective tissue system illness | 0.7 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 6.0 | 5.3 | 5.4 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 0.0 | ‡ | 5.1 | 9.3 | 6.6 | 5.0 | ‡ | 5.3 | 0.0 | ‡ | 8.0 | 9.4 | 5.6 | 0.0 | ‡ | 6.1 |
| Neurological system illness | 4.6 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 5.6 | 5.3 | 5.9 | 7.0 | 5.3 | 9.5 | 7.1 | 5.1 | 6.3 | 8.7 | 5.8 | 3.9 | 6.5 | ‡ | 9.1 | 8.0 | 11.3 | 13.2 | ‡ | 11.1 | 10.4 |
| Psychiatric illness | 0.0 | 9.3 | 11.3 | 13.1 | 5.9 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 6.2 | ‡ | 14.3 | 21.0 | 25.0 | 10.7 | ‡ | ‡ | 12.9 | 0.0 | 12.7 | 29.3 | 26.4 | 10.4 | ‡ | 0.0 | 16.6 |
| Respiratory system illness | 44.0 | 6.0 | 4.6 | 4.0 | 14.3 | 18.4 | 17.1 | 14.4 | 47.6 | ‡ | 5.1 | 4.9 | 14.5 | 21.6 | 19.9 | 13.6 | 50.0 | 0.0 | ‡ | 2.4 | 16.7 | 34.0 | 22.2 | 11.2 |
| Urological system illness | 1.1 | 1.3 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 4.7 | 10.6 | 13.3 | 5.6 | 0.0 | 6.1 | ‡ | ‡ | 3.3 | 10.1 | 16.7 | 5.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | ‡ | ‡ | ‡ | 9.4 | 14.8 | 3.2 |
| Other MDBs | 20.0 | 19.8 | 22.8 | 23.9 | 18.7 | 13.8 | 10.0 | 18.3 | 19.1 | 15.3 | 18.1 | 11.2 | 11.6 | 7.9 | 7.7 | 12.1 | ‡ | 10.9 | ‡ | 8.0 | 6.9 | 7.6 | 11.1 | 7.9 |
| Major diagnostic block during study period | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alcohol/drug abuse and alcohol/drug induced mental disorders | 0.0 | 8.5 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 7.3 | 1.5 | 0.7 | 6.0 | 0.0 | 10.2 | 17.4 | 26.1 | 16.5 | 0.0 | ‡ | 13.2 | 0.0 | 16.4 | 24.0 | 31.6 | 18.8 | ‡ | ‡ | 20.4 |
| Circulatory system illness | 4.1 | 22.4 | 29.6 | 35.3 | 58.9 | 69.5 | 71.5 | 45.4 | 7.9 | 40.8 | 31.9 | 49.6 | 65.7 | 89.9 | 81.4 | 57.3 | ‡ | 58.2 | 53.3 | 65.6 | 82.6 | 90.6 | 85.2 | 70.2 |
| Digestive system illness | 63.4 | 65.5 | 58.7 | 54.2 | 57.0 | 61.5 | 59.9 | 59.1 | 85.7 | 79.6 | 79.7 | 70.9 | 71.9 | 79.9 | 74.4 | 75.5 | 92.9 | 96.4 | 85.3 | 85.9 | 85.4 | 88.7 | 74.1 | 86.0 |
| Endocrine, nutritional and metabolic system illness | 6.5 | 6.0 | 3.5 | 7.9 | 16.9 | 20.4 | 19.0 | 12.3 | 12.7 | 10.2 | 10.9 | 13.1 | 24.4 | 23.7 | 30.1 | 18.8 | 4.1 | 12.7 | 17.3 | 20.3 | 24.7 | 45.3 | 29.6 | 25.4 |
| Illness of skin, subcutaneous tissue, breast | 38.1 | 36.3 | 36.8 | 36.0 | 33.4 | 29.5 | 26.6 | 33.4 | 46.0 | 46.9 | 44.2 | 46.6 | 37.2 | 44.6 | 33.3 | 42.1 | 42.9 | 56.4 | 56.0 | 49.5 | 46.5 | 30.2 | 44.4 | 47.9 |
| Injury, single site, major | 62.6 | 82.3 | 66.4 | 57.7 | 48.8 | 42.2 | 50.8 | 56.6 | 69.8 | 87.8 | 74.6 | 71.3 | 61.2 | 46.8 | 55.8 | 65.6 | 71.4 | 90.9 | 81.3 | 38.4 | 22.7 | 6.3 | 7.3 | 76.9 |
| Musculoskeletal/ connective tissue system illness | 15.3 | 48.1 | 42.4 | 44.7 | 44.6 | 43.8 | 41.4 | 41.0 | 27.0 | 66.3 | 56.5 | 59.0 | 57.9 | 59.0 | 55.1 | 56.7 | 35.7 | 89.1 | 73.3 | 71.7 | 79.2 | 69.8 | 66.7 | 73.8 |
| Neurological system illness | 18.1 | 27.8 | 30.7 | 32.3 | 36.6 | 44.2 | 52.5 | 36.3 | 23.8 | 37.8 | 52.9 | 55.6 | 56.2 | 64.0 | 64.1 | 54.3 | ‡ | 58.2 | 70.7 | 74.1 | 75.0 | 83.0 | 68.5 | 71.7 |
| Psychiatric illness | 1.4 | 31.1 | 36.0 | 36.3 | 23.0 | 15.4 | 14.2 | 23.2 | ‡ | 54.1 | 58.7 | 62.7 | 36.0 | 18.7 | 21.2 | 40.9 | 0.0 | 67.3 | 68.0 | 71.2 | 52.1 | 28.3 | 16.7 | 55.7 |
| Respiratory system illness | 83.5 | 39.5 | 34.6 | 32.6 | 50.0 | 58.6 | 61.6 | 50.4 | 92.1 | 53.1 | 46.4 | 48.5 | 66.5 | 71.9 | 76.3 | 62.0 | 100.0 | 78.2 | 65.3 | 64.2 | 77.1 | 83.0 | 85.2 | 73.0 |
| Urological system illness | 11.1 | 17.7 | 21.0 | 17.9 | 27.3 | 40.4 | 47.4 | 27.3 | 14.3 | 32.7 | 27.5 | 24.3 | 42.6 | 65.5 | 60.3 | 39.1 | ‡ | 49.1 | 45.3 | 31.6 | 42.4 | 58.5 | 72.2 | 43.2 |
*Excludes planned return visits.
†Age group defined at first visit in first period of frequent attendance.
‡Cell suppressed, n≤5.
ED, emergency department.