Patterns and correlates of emergency department use by individuals with diabetes.

In the U.S., there has been a rapid increase in emergency department visits, and studies indicate that up to 50% of emergency department visits are for nonurgent problems (1,2). Several studies have suggested that individuals with diabetes are significantly more likely to use the emergency department than their nondiabetic counterparts (3–5). However, most of these studies did not adequately control for key factors that influence health utilization, and many did not explore potential predictors of emergency department use in individuals with diabetes. The objectives of this study were to use nationally representative data to 1) compare patterns of emergency department use in people with and without diabetes, 2) compare the odds of emergency department use in both groups while controlling for potential confounders, and 3) determine correlates of single and multiple emergency department use in people with diabetes. It was hypothesized that while controlling for known confounders, the odds of emergency department use would not differ significantly between people with and without diabetes.