Factors associated with emergency medical care utilization among children in Taiwan

Objectives: This study aimed to determine emergency medical care (EMC) utilization among children in Taiwan and factors associated with EMC utilization. Methods: This was a population-based study using the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database of 2005 (LHID 2005), which was released by the National Health Research Institutes. All emergency department visits among children <18 years of age in 2005 were analyzed to determine the rates and factors associated with EMC utilization. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to assess the independent effect of various characteristics on the risk of EMC utilization. Results: Of 233, 382 children, 43, 976 (18.84%) had emergency department visits accounting for 65, 839 emergency department visits. Compared with girls, boys were more likely to utilize EMC. Compared with children < 1 year of age, children 1-6 years of age had a higher risk of utilizing EMC. Compared with children living in urban areas, children living in suburban areas were less likely to utilize EMC. Children with catastrophic diseases were more likely to use EMC. Children with ≤ 15 outpatient department visits had a lower risk of EMC utilization compared to children with 16-20 and ≥ 21 outpatient department visits. Boys were more likely to have frequent EMC utilization. Compared with children < 1 year of age, children 7-11 or 12-17 years of age had a lower risk of frequent EMC utilization. Children with catastrophic diseases were more likely to have frequent EMC utilization. Children with ≤ 15 outpatient department visits had a lower risk of frequent EMC utilization than children with 16-20 and ≥ 21 outpatient department visits. Conclusions: Boys, children with catastrophic diseases, children living in urban areas, and children with more outpatient department visits were more likely to utilize EMC and have frequent EMC utilization.