Abstract

Psychiatric Emergency Department visits in California, 2005-2011
Track: Hospitals and Health Systems
Authors: Jim Banta, Mark Haviland, Nicole Gatto, Sam Soret, Ed Santos

Mental health and addiction parity initiatives may encourage population-based analyses. GIS was used to study psychiatric emergency department (ED) visits, notably those leading to hospitalization. Of the 2.1 million visits in 7 years to 348 hospitals, geocoded per patients’ 5-digit zipcode of residence, 13% ended in hospitalization. Descriptive mapping and spatial/temporal analysis were done, referencing Census population and hospital referral regions and adjusting for patient characteristics.