Cost Analysis of Recurrent Emergency Department Visits Among Patients Aged 65 and Older: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study

TL;DR

This study found that older patients in Turkey, especially those with chronic conditions, have higher emergency department costs, particularly for those with repeated visits.

Contribution

The study provides a detailed cost analysis of recurrent emergency department visits among elderly patients in Turkey.

Findings

The median cost per ED visit for patients aged 65 and older was $58.16, increasing with age.

Recurrent ED visits were most common for internal medicine, pulmonary, and cardiovascular diagnoses.

The first ED visit for recurrent patients was more costly than subsequent visits.

Abstract

Introduction

This study aimed to analyze the costs of emergency department (ED) visits among patients aged 65 years and older, with a particular focus on the financial burden of recurrent admissions within a one-year period.

Methods

A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted on 143,909 ED visits recorded between January 1, 2014, and December 31, 2014, at the Emergency Department of Ankara Atatürk Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. Data for patients aged 65 and older were extracted from the Hospital Information Management System. Cost data were based on the Social Security Institution billing system and converted into US dollars (USD) using the 2014 exchange rate. Patients were categorized by age, gender, diagnosis, and visit frequency. Nonparametric statistical tests were used due to the non-normal distribution of cost variables. A p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

A total of 21,458 (15.0%) ED visits were made by patients aged 65 and older. The median cost per visit in this group was $58.16. Costs increased with age: $42.90 for patients aged 65-74, $76.67 for those aged 75-84, and $96.42 for those aged ≥85 (Kruskal-Wallis H = 1,125.3, df = 2, p < 0.001). Among the 19,159 elderly patients who visited the ED, 1,951 (10.2%) had recurrent visits. Within this subgroup, internal medicine diagnoses were most common (1,345 visits, or 68.9%), followed by pulmonary (320, or 16.4%), cardiovascular (211, or 10.8%), and non-specific complaints (231, or 11.8%) as the leading causes. This diagnostic distribution differed significantly from that of single-visit patients (χ² = 42.7, df = 3, p < 0.001). Recurrence rates varied significantly by diagnostic category (χ² = 89.4, df = 5, p < 0.001): the highest recurrence was observed in patients with hematologic conditions (56/355, or 15.8%; adjusted OR = 1.72, 95% CI: 1.28-2.31), followed by psychiatric (8/57, or 14.0%; adjusted OR = 1.45, 95% CI: 0.99-2.12) and pulmonary diagnoses (320/2,358, or 13.6%; adjusted OR = 1.38, 95% CI: 1.22-1.57), all above the overall recurrence rate of 10.2%. The median cost of the first ED visit was significantly higher in the recurrent group ($72.13) compared to the non-recurrent group ($59.76) (Mann-Whitney U = 14.2 × 10⁶, p < 0.001, r = 0.14). Among recurrent cases, the mean cost of the first visit ($101.84) exceeded the average cost of subsequent visits ($93.98) (Wilcoxon T = 2.4 × 10⁵, p < 0.001, r = 0.09).

Conclusion

Older patients generate disproportionately higher ED costs in Turkey, particularly those with recurrent visits and chronic conditions. These findings support the implementation of geriatric-focused emergency care models and preventive strategies to optimize resource utilization in aging populations.

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