Characterization of absconding and attempts to abscond in a Colombian general hospital

TL;DR

This study examines patient absconding in a Colombian hospital, finding it occurs less frequently than in other countries but shares similar patient characteristics.

Contribution

The study provides the first detailed characterization of absconding in a general hospital in Latin America.

Findings

141 absconding or attempted absconding events were recorded between 2015 and 2023.

Most absconding patients were young, single males with a history of substance use.

Absconding events mostly occurred in the emergency department during the day.

Abstract

Patient absconding in healthcare institutions has been associated with negative outcomes for both patients and the institutions themselves. Despite this, few studies have evaluated the frequency and characteristics of these events in Latin America, especially in general healthcare hospitals that do not specialize in psychiatric care.

To describe the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, as well as the event characteristics, among patients who absconded or attempted to abscond from a tertiary general hospital in Medellín, Colombia, between 2015 and 2023.

Quantitative, descriptive cross-sectional study using secondary sources, where information was collected from the medical records of patients who absconded or attempted to abscond at the Hospital Alma Mater de Antioquia. A descriptive statistical analysis of the data was performed.

A total of 141 events were recorded during the evaluated period (135 absconds and 6 attempts to abscond). The period prevalence of absconding was 5.5 per 10,000 admissions, and most patients were young, single males, with a high frequency of substance use. Most events took place in the emergency department during the daytime.

Studying the epidemiological profile of absconding patients and their motivations could facilitate prevention and intervention.

A lower absconding rate was found compared to reports from other countries. However, the characteristics of the patients were similar, with a predominance of young, single male patients with psychiatric history.