Association between Emergency Department Visits and Predisposing, Enabling, Need, and Reinforcing Social Factors in an Acute Care

Abstract

No primary evidence has hitherto existed of predisposing, enabling, need, and social reinforcing factors influencing Emergency Department (ED) visits in an acute setting in Saudi Arabia. The aim of this study was to examine the association between emergency department visits and predisposing, enabling, need, and reinforcing social factors in an acute care. A cross-sectional study that randomly selected representative patients visiting ED services at King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh from December 2016 to January 2017. Patient and facility validated questionnaires were used. Descriptive analysis and multivariate analysis were carried using STATA version 12. Average ED visit was 3.8 in 12 months with a range of 50 visits. Visits were concentrated on a few small discrete and non-negative integer values, but without an explicit upper limit.