Patterns of emergency department use in rural and metropolitan New South Wales by socioeconomic status: A population-based study

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the patterns of ED use in metropolitan and rural New South Wales (NSW) by socioeconomic status (SES).

Methods: We undertook a retrospective, population-based study of de-identified data from the NSW Emergency Department Data Collection (EDDC). The study population comprised of NSW residents who presented to an NSW public hospital ED in 2013-2019 and were registered in the NSW EDDC. Total ED presentations, negative binomial regression modelled annual changes in ED presentations over 2013-2019, and age- and sex-standardised rates of ED presentations in 2019 were assessed.

Results: Overall, between 2013 and 2019, ED presentations increased in metropolitan and rural NSW, with mean annual percentage increases of 3.1% (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.8-3.5) and 2.5% (95% CI 2.0-2.9), respectively. This growth varied by SES, with larger increases observed in higher SES groups. The bulk of presentations in rural NSW were from individuals living in disadvantaged areas. Standardised rates of ED presentations were highest in the most disadvantaged quintiles (SES 1) and progressively decreased with increasing SES in both rural and metropolitan NSW (negative gradients). Rates were higher in rural NSW compared to metropolitan NSW across all SES quintiles for total, low acuity and non-low acuity presentations.

Conclusions: Negative gradients in rates of ED presentations with increasing SES were observed in both metropolitan and rural NSW. At each SES quintile, rates of ED presentations were higher in rural compared to metropolitan areas. Further research exploring the underlying causal mechanisms leading to increased ED demand in rural NSW and socioeconomically disadvantaged populations is warranted.

Keywords: emergency department; inequalities; remoteness; socioeconomic status.