Frequent users’ characteristics by class
| Variable | Class 1 (%) | Class 2 (%) | Class 3 (%) | Class 4 (%) |
| Total | 5501 | 3202 | 2660 | 2313 |
| Female | 2870 (52.2) | 1837 (57.4) | 1322 (49.7) | 1323 (57.2) |
| Age | ||||
| 18–34 | 283 (5.1) | 38 (1.2) | 359 (13.5) | 268 (11.6) |
| 35–54 | 682 (12.4) | 92 (2.9) | 1010 (38) | 632 (27.3) |
| 55–64 | 915 (16.6) | 251 (7.8) | 763 (28.7) | 589 (25.5) |
| 65–74 | 1414 (25.7) | 1008 (31.5) | 335 (12.6) | 368 (15.9) |
| 75–84 | 1535 (27.9) | 1220 (38.1) | 142 (5.3) | 307 (13.3) |
| ≥ 85 | 672 (12.2) | 593 (18.5) | 51 (1.9) | 149 (6.4) |
| Residential area | ||||
| Metropolitan | 3332 (60.6) | 2013 (62.9) | 1817 (68.3) | 1334 (57.6) |
| Small town | 924 (16.8) | 560 (17.5) | 450 (16.9) | 420 (18.2) |
| Rural | 1245 (22.6) | 629 (19.6) | 393 (14.8) | 559 (24.2) |
| Number of ED visits (1 year before the index date) | ||||
| ≤1 | 2491 (45.3) | 685 (21.4) | 352 (13.2) | 740 (32.0) |
| 2 | 926 (16.8) | 535 (16.7) | 318 (11.9) | 335 (14.5) |
| 3 | 676 (12.3) | 483 (15.1) | 313 (11.8) | 313 (13.5) |
| 4 | 487 (8.9) | 400 (12.5) | 257 (9.7) | 250 (10.8) |
| ≥ 5 | 921 (16.7) | 1099 (34.3) | 1420 (53.4) | 675 (29.2) |
| Number of ED visits (1 year after the index date) | ||||
| 5–6 | 3715 (67.5) | 2009 (62.7) | 1243 (46.7) | 1457 (63.0) |
| 7–8 | 1111 (20.2) | 690 (21.6) | 584 (22.0) | 488 (21.1) |
| 9–10 | 389 (7.1) | 261 (8.1) | 301 (11.3) | 189 (8.2) |
| 11–12 | 145 (2.6) | 122 (3.8) | 168 (6.3) | 84 (3.6) |
| ≥ 13 | 141 (2.6) | 120 (3.8) | 364 (13.7) | 95 (4.1) |
| Previous hospitalisation in the last 2 years | 3084 (56.1) | 2809 (87.7) | 2312 (86.9) | 1293 (55.9) |
| Material deprivation | ||||
| Missing | 239 (4.3) | 189 (5.9) | 169 (6.4) | 89 (3.8) |
| 1—less deprived | 639 (11.6) | 373 (11.6) | 282 (10.6) | 278 (12.0) |
| 2 | 882 (16.0) | 514 (16.1) | 374 (14.1) | 381 (16.5) |
| 3 | 989 (18.0) | 628 (19.6) | 427 (16.1) | 454 (19.6) |
| 4 | 1277 (23.2) | 697 (21.8) | 617 (23.2) | 524 (22.7) |
| 5—most deprived | 1475 (26.8) | 801 (25.0) | 791 (29.7) | 587 (25.4) |
| Social deprivation | ||||
| Missing | 239 (4.3) | 189 (5.9) | 169 (6.4) | 89 (3.8) |
| 1—less deprived | 795 (14.5) | 397 (12.4) | 216 (8.1) | 375 (16.2) |
| 2 | 847 (15.4) | 449 (14.0) | 295 (11.1) | 380 (16.4) |
| 3 | 1068 (19.4) | 534 (16.7) | 350 (13.2) | 463 (20.0) |
| 4 | 1162 (21.1) | 679 (21.2) | 616 (23.2) | 468 (20.2) |
| 5—most deprived | 1390 (25.3) | 954 (29.8) | 1014 (38.1) | 538 (23.3) |
| Asthma | 684 (12.4) | 463 (14.5) | 693 (26.1) | 464 (20.1) |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease | 1408 (25.6) | 1449 (45.3) | 960 (36.1) | 464 (20.1) |
| Congestive heart failure | 759 (13.8) | 937 (29.3) | 285 (10.7) | 171 (7.4) |
| Coronary artery disease | 1956 (35.6) | 1765 (55.1) | 740 (27.8) | 618 (26.7) |
| Diabetes | 2265 (41.2) | 1411 (44.1) | 1064 (40.0) | 886 (38.3) |
| Epilepsy | 127 (2.3) | 154 (4.8) | 331 (12.4) | 62 (2.7) |
| High blood pressure | 3030 (55.1) | 2486 (77.6) | 1409 (53) | 1136 (49.1) |
| Chronic frequent use | 588 (10.7) | 592 (18.5) | 855 (32.1) | 376 (16.3) |
Percentages in brackets are relative to the column total. Class 1: ‘low morbidity frequent use’, Class 2: ‘high physical comorbidity’, Class 3: ‘mental health or alcohol/substance abuse’, Class 4: ‘injury or chronic non-cancer pain’.
ED, emergency department.