Prediction of emergency department visits in home healthcare patients: a case-control study in Taiwan

Background: Home healthcare (HHC) is an important care choice for elderly people with disabilities; however, the risk factors for emergency department (ED) visits, a poor outcome index, remain unclear. Therefore, we conducted this study to clarify it. Methods: We conducted a case-control study from a medical center in Taiwan by identifying HHC patients between Aug 1, 2019, and July 31, 2021. Age, sex, iatrogenesis, underlying comorbidities, and ED visit data were collected. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to identify independent predictors of ED visits. Results: We identified 240 patients, including 133 patients with and 107 patients without ED visits, for this study. The mean ages were 83.9 and 83.3 years and females accounted for 71% and 60.9% of patients without and with ED visits, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analyses showed that urinary catheters (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 5.84; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.48−23.01, p = 0.012) and peptic ulcer disease (PUD)/gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) (aOR: 2.27; 95% CI: 1.12−4.61, p = 0.023) were independent predictors of ED visits. Stratified analyses according to sex and age showed that PUD/GERD and dyslipidemia were significant predictors of ED visits in female patients. Conclusions: This study identified independent predictors of ED visits in HHC patients. Our results provide an important reference for the early prevention, recognition, and adjustment of care plans for at-risk patients. Further studies recruiting more patients and external validation are warranted.