DOI
https://doi.org/10.1177/10775595241300971
Document Type
Article
Publication Title
Child Maltreatment
Abstract
Emergency department (ED) utilization for preventable reasons by patients with foster care history is unexplored. Medical records of ED encounters from primary care patients were pulled from a southwestern children's hospital system. Necessity of ED encounter was categorized using the New York University- ED Algorithm into emergent, intermediate, or non-emergent. Associations were explored at the encounter- and patient-level. Partial proportional logistic models generated odds of preventable (i.e., intermediate or nonemergent) ED utilization among encounters, and Poisson models determined incidence of preventable ED use at the patient level. Findings suggested that when a patient with history in foster care used the ED, the odds that it was preventable were lower than if the child did not have such experience. Further, patients with foster care history were less likely to use the ED for concerns that did not need immediate attention but were more likely to use the ED for intermediate reasons.
For questions about this study or others, please email reesjonestrainings@childrens.com
childrens.com/fostercare
Publication Date
11-2025
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Malthaner LQ, McLeigh JD, Knell G, Jetelina KK, Atem F, Messiah SE. Preventable Emergency Department Utilization Among Patients With Foster Care History Compared to Patients Without Foster Care History. Child Maltreat. 2025 Nov;30(4):612-622. doi: 10.1177/10775595241300971. Epub 2024 Nov 25. PMID: 39585789; PMCID: PMC12495112.
