Table 2

Comparison of frequent and non-frequent ED users for both the secondary and tertiary hospitals

	Total	Frequent ED users	Non-frequent ED users	P value
Patient level n=20 388 (number of patients)
Age
14<	3728	19	3709	0.217
15–64	8862	51	8811	0.205
65≥	7798	64	7734	0.023*
Gender
Male	9642	58	9584	0.351
Female	10 746	76	10 670	0.351
In-hospital death
No	19 825	131	19 694	0.771
Yes	563	3	560	0.771
Receiving public assistance
No	20 257	128	20 129	<0.001*
Yes	110	5	105	<0.001*
Visit level n=25 231 (number of visits)
Use of ambulance
No	18 496	834	17 662	<0.001*
Yes	6735	209	6526	<0.001*
Hospitalisation
No	20 256	872	19 384	p=0.006*
Yes	4975	171	4804	p=0.006*
Results of triage in the ED
Internal medicine	11 762	439	11 323	p=0.003*
Surgery	1312	30	1282	p=0.001*
Orthopaedics	4412	84	4328	<0.001*
Psychiatry	236	189	47	<0.001*
Paediatrics	2817	98	2719	p=0.064
OB/GYN	1181	95	1086	<0.001