Emergency department (ED) visits and the number of adults with multiple chronic conditions (MCC) have been increasing over the last decade, but little is known about the trends in ED use for patients with MCC. This study examined national trends in ED use for those with MCC compared with one chronic condition and no chronic conditions and used data from the 2007-2012 National Emergency Department Sample, limited to patients 45 years old or older. ED visits for encounters with one chronic condition and MCC increased at significantly greater rates than for those with no chronic conditions both overall and for all subgroups examined.
Keywords: Emergency department; healthcare utilization; multiple chronic conditions; trends.