The Determinants of Daily Emergency Department Attendance: A Theoretical Approach

Sammanfattning: The purpose of this study is to examine the determinants of daily ED attendance based on neoclassical theories. Using elements from the Grossman model and standard economic consumer theory, we build a theoretical framework for identifying and analyzing the determinants of emergency care. To evaluate our findings, we develop a prediction model. We use data from the emergency department at Uppsala University Hospital and the Health Care Guide to test if the health status of individuals and the relative price of an ED visit affect the number of ED admissions. Of the two hypotheses, we only find empirical support for the relative price hypothesis. Although our empirical findings do not support the hypothesis that health status is a determinant, we believe that further research is needed to reject its relevance in determining the demand for emergency care. Our findings imply that calendar variables should continue to be included in future prediction models and that variables capturing different types of health reduction may be worthwhile to consider.