Opportunities - Understanding Frequent Users of the Emergency Department
Understanding Frequent Users of the Emergency Department
University of Calgary, Department of Emergency Medicine
Background
Approximately half of visits to an Emergency Department (ED) in Alberta are by individuals who visit the ED multiple times in a year. This can be an unpleasant experience for patients, can contribute to patient harm (excess testing, exposure to radiation, or medications), and also can contribute to patients not feeling confident about themselves or their well-being.
Studying why people frequently use the Emergency Department is complex because of the various backgrounds of individuals who visit the ED, the different reasons why individuals visit the ED, and the differences in user time frames (some individuals have an acute period of frequent use, which resolves, while others may make frequent visits for several year). Specialized (or tailored) strategies to appropriately reduce the need for frequent visits have been tested with some success with specific populations in specific locations, however, these have been very resource-intensive. As a result, further understanding how other patient populations may benefit from tailored interventions or progams is important. It will be essential to better understand reasons for ED use so that patient needs and priorities can be addressed in the development of tailored resources.
Our team currently uses health data to identify more than 20 different profiles of patients who visit the ED frequently. Using a Nominal Group Technique (NGT) which is a structured meeting and consensus building process with many interest holders, including people with lived experience of several visits to the ED, we will work to understand why frequent visits occur and ways to prioritize these groups for further qualitative study.
Roles and Responsibilities
We are inviting people with lived experience, and family caregivers to those with lived experience, of more than 5 visits to an emergency department in Alberta in a year to participate in a Nominal Group Technique (NGT) meeting. NGT is a structured group discussion technique used to generate, prioritize, and reach consensus on ideas. This meeting will be about 3 hours and held online.
Time Commitment
Participants will be asked to engage in a single meeting for 3 hours, held over Zoom. There will also be documents to review prior to the meeting. The meeting will be held between June and September 2026.
Compensation/Reimbursement
Participants will be offered compensation for their contribution to the online Nominal Group Technique (NGT) meeting and preparation time. Compensation can be in the form of an honorarium or an Everything Gift Card, as per participant preference.
For More Information or To Express Interest Please Email
Jillian Vandenbrand
emdatalab@ucalgary.ca
