Characteristics of frequent and chance users and their episodes of care
| Chanceusers | Frequentusers | |
|---|---|---|
| ED, emergency department; MIU, minor injury unit. | ||
| *ED attenders only. | ||
| Patient characteristics (n = 75141) | ||
| Mean age (years) | 44.5 | 49.7 |
| Male | 53.8% | 54.2% |
| Married | 37.9% | 25.2% |
| Episode characteristics (n = 98908) | ||
| Arrived by ambulance | 27.5% | 55.3% |
| Presenting complaint | ||
| Psychiatric | 1.1% | 5.8% |
| Alcohol intoxication | 0.5% | 1.3% |
| Trauma | 54.2% | 22.8% |
| Attended ED rather than MIU | 81.2% | 94.6% |
| Admitted to hospital | 19.6% | 37.4% |
| Mean total duration of episode (mins)* | ||
| Admitted | 289.1 | 295.9 |
| Discharged | 137.5 | 184.1 |