TABLE 1—

Characteristics of US Emergency Department Visits by Homeless Adults by Age: 2005–2009

	Weighted ED Visits, %
Characteristics	Aged 18–49 Yearsa	Aged 50–95 Yearsb	P
Demographic
Male	74	80	.17
Race/ethnicity			.72
White	53	57
Black	24	24
Latino	18	15
Other	5	4c
Geography			.54
Northeast	19	17
Midwest	13	16
South	26	23
West	43	45
Insurance			.005
None	42	37
Medicaid	25	20
Medicare	9	20
Other	11	12
Clinical
Triage level			.44
High	16	21
Medium	59	53
Low	9	9
Diagnostic or screening test in ED	68	73	.59
Procedure performed in ED	39	46	.15
Medications received in ED or prescribed at discharge	65	68	.33
Complaintd
Psychiatric	23	15	.01
Injury	21	28	.04
Musculoskeletal	19	16	.37
Alcohol or other drug abuse	12	8c	.1
Request for substance abuse detoxification	40	4c	< .001
Neurologic	10	11	.64
Gastrointestinal	11	12	.73
Respiratory	8	12	.09
Cardiovascular	5	11	.02
Discharge diagnosisd
Psychiatric	20	10	.002
Injury	14	19	.16
Musculoskeletal	10	9c	.7
Substance abuse, overall	35	35	.94
Substance abuse, alcohol only	23	31	.03
Substance abuse, drugs only	15	7c	.003
Neurologic	5	2c	.08
Gastrointestinal	2c	2c	.15
Respiratory	6	4c	.86
Cardiovascular	4	8c	.02
Health services
Arrived by ambulance	36	48	.02
Length of ED visit, mean hr	2	3	.41
Admitted to hospital	11	20	.003
Length of admission of patients admitted to the hospital, mean d	7	8	.22

Note. ED = emergency department. Percentages may not add to 100% because of rounding.

^aUnweighted n = 826.

^bUnweighted n = 351.

^cUnweighted n = 2–27.

^dPatients could have up to 3 complaints or discharge diagnoses.