Table 1.
Demographic Characteristics and Health Care Utilization Variables by Homeless Status of Individuals Using Urban EDs in the United States, 2009–2010 NHAMCS-ED
| Homeless | Nonhomeless | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N | na (%) | Mean | 95% CI | N | na (%) | Mean | 95% CI | P | |
| Total | 518 | 1 302 (0.65) | 0.52–0.78 | 54 395 | 199 343 (99.35) | 99.22–99.48 | |||
| Age,b y | 518 | 44.1 | 42.56–45.62 | 52 686 | 36.2 | 35.40–37.02 | <.001 | ||
| Raceb | .944 | ||||||||
| White | 278 | 786 (72.5) | 65.48–79.60 | 32 968 | 123 790 (72.8) | 69.17–76.47 | |||
| Black | 152 | 298 (27.5) | 20.40–34.52 | 12 981 | 46 207 (27.2) | 23.53–30.83 | |||
| Ethnicityb | .760 | ||||||||
| Hispanic or Latino | 64 | 183 (15.9) | 10.94–20.87 | 8 067 | 29 004 (16.6) | 13.33–19.94 | |||
| Not Hispanic or Latino | 391 | 966 (84.1) | 79.13–89.06 | 39 857 | 145 378 (83.4) | 80.06–86.67 | |||
| Sex | <.001 | ||||||||
| Male | 391 | 969 (74.4) | 68.06–80.77 | 24 318 | 88 741 (44.5) | 43.77–45.26 | |||
| Female | 127 | 333 (25.6) | 19.23–31.94 | 30 077 | 110 602 (55.5) | 54.74–56.23 | |||
| Payment typeb | <.001 | ||||||||
| Medicare | 59 | 150 (13.6) | 7.92–19.38 | 8 229 | 29 952 (24.5) | 22.99–25.94 | |||
| Medicaid or CHIP/SCHIP | 146 | 309 (28.0) | 20.67–35.39 | 15 431 | 54 512 (44.5) | 42.26–46.79 | |||
| Self-pay | 138 | 426 (38.6) | 30.78–46.51 | 8 155 | 31 120 (25.4) | 23.69–27.14 | |||
| No charge/charity | 40 | 92 (8.4) | 4.19–12.55 | 537 | 2 839 (2.0) | 1.16–2.74 | |||
| Other | 44 | 125 (11.3) | 4.70–17.91 | 1 160 | 4 457 (3.6) | 2.70–4.58 | |||
| Ambulance arrivalb | <.001 | ||||||||
| No | 289 | 646 (51.6) | 45.25–58.02 | 43 831 | 160 504 (84.6) | 83.58–85.57 | |||
| Yes | 210 | 605 (48.4) | 41.98–54.75 | 8 076 | 29 276 (15.4) | 14.43–16.42 | |||
| Episode of careb | <.001 | ||||||||
| Initial visit | 373 | 958 (83.4) | 78.36–88.53 | 45 988 | 171 609 (92.4) | 91.68–93.11 | |||
| Follow-up visit | 85 | 190 (16.6) | 11.47–21.64 | 4 175 | 14 118 (7.6) | 6.89–8.32 | |||
| Seen in this ED within the last 72 hb | <.001 | ||||||||
| No | 399 | 955 (89.0) | 84.20–93.73 | 44 466 | 161 454 (95.5) | 95.16–95.86 | |||
| Yes | 53 | 119 (11.0) | 6.27–15.80 | 2 032 | 7 586 (4.5) | 4.14–4.84 | |||
| Discharged from any hospital within the last 7 db | <.001 | ||||||||
| No | 325 | 719 (87.3) | 80.33–94.28 | 32 223 | 114 492 (95.6) | 95.01–96.24 | |||
| Yes | 37 | 105 (12.7) | 5.72–19.67 | 1 470 | 5 238 (4.4) | 3.76–4.99 | |||
| Diagnostic/screening services ordered or provided at visitb | .063 | ||||||||
| Yes | 313 | 817 (64.9) | 59.33–70.37 | 37 361 | 137 676 (69.8) | 68.21–71.45 | |||
| No | 193 | 443 (35.1) | 29.63–40.67 | 16 403 | 59 475 (30.2) | 28.55–31.79 | |||
| Total number of diagnostic/screening services ordered or providedb | 506 | 3.0 | 2.54–3.55 | 53 764 | 3.0 | 2.86–3.22 | .994 | ||
| Length of visit,b min | 475 | 398.0 | 319.83–476.24 | 52 322 | 211.4 | 204.25–218.55 | <.001 | ||
| Waiting time to see MD/DO/PA/NP,b min | 454 | 67.7 | 55.24–80.13 | 49 006 | 58.3 | 54.86–61.65 | .124 | ||
| Number of times patient has been seen in this ED within the last 12 mob | 395 | 5.5 | 3.84–7.08 | 35 702 | 1.6 | 1.44–1.75 | <.001 | ||
Abbreviations: CHIP/SCHIP, Children’s Health Insurance Program/State Children’s Health Insurance Program; DO, Doctor of Osteopathy; ED, emergency department; MD, Doctor of Medicine; NHAMCS-ED, National Hospital Ambulatory Care Survey–Emergency Department; NP, nurse practitioner; PA, physician assistant.
a
Nationally weighted number, rounded to nearest 1000.
b
Number does not equal the total number due to missing responses.