Skip to main content

Table 1 Conceptual vulnerability framework for frequent emergency department users: measurement instruments for social characteristics; somatic, mental, and risk behavior indicators; and health care use

From: Characterizing the vulnerability of frequent emergency department users by applying a conceptual framework: a controlled, cross-sectional study

Dimension

Indicator

Measurementa

Social-cultural and demographic

Age (years)

Years

Gender

Gender

Country of birth

0 = Low/middle-income country; 1 = high-income country

Education

0 = None, incomplete, primary; 1 = Secondary; 2 = Tertiary

Marital status

0 = Single; 1 = Married/civil partnership; 2 = Separated/divorced; 3 = Widowed

Household income (per month)

1 = < CHF 3′000 vs 0 = CHF 3′000 or more [3′000–5′999/more than 6′000/no information]

Income source

1 = welfare (unemployed) vs 0 = regular income (employed)

Violence (past 12 months)

PVS: 1 = experienced violence vs 0 = no violence [33]

Social support

MSSS-5 [34]

Social position

Self-rated, 10-level, visual, non-numerical scale from 1 = underprivileged to 10 = privileged [35]

French proficiency

1 = less than good vs 0 = good

Distance of home from ED

1 < 5 km vs 0 = 5 km or more

Somatic

ED primary diagnosis

MDC classification

Severity

1 = urgent vs 0 = non-urgent

Comorbidity

Charlson-Age comorbidity index [36, 37]

Chronic disease

1 = yes vs 0 = no, based on MDC classification

Subjective well-being

SF-12v2: physical component [38]

Mental

Comorbidity

Mood, anxiety, or panic disorder (Prime MD: 1 = 1-3 disorders vs 0 = no disorder [39]), M.I.N.I (1 = PTSD vs. 0 = no PTSD [40]); 1 = comorbidities vs 0 = no comorbidity

Chronic disease

1 = yes vs 0 = no, based on MDC classification

Subjective well-being

SF-12v2: mental component [38]

Risk behavior

Alcohol consumption

ASSIST: 1 = moderate-high risk vs 0 = no–low risk [41, 42]

Lifetime illicit drug use

ASSIST: 1 = illicit drug use vs 0 = no use [41, 42]

Tobacco consumption

HSI: 1 = medium or high score (1–6) vs 0 = low score (0–1) [4143]

 

Sexual risk behaviors

Separate self-administered questionnaireb [44], 1 = sexual behavior at risk; 0 = no at risk sexual behavior

Health care use

PCP visits

0 = no PCP; 1 = PCP, but no visit; 2 = 1 or more PCP visit(s) [1–2 visit(s)/3–6 visits/more than 6 visits]

Specialist visits

0 = 0 visits; 1 = 1-2 visits; 2 = 3 or more visits

Hospital admissions

0 = 0 stays; 1 = 1-2 stays, 2 = 3 or more stays

Use of other EDs

1 = yes vs 0 = no

  1. ain […], codes used in primary analysis: due to non-significant results, some categories have been collapsed
  2. bSee Supplement 1 for a full English version of the questionnaire
  3. ASSIST alcohol, smoking, and substance involvement screening test, CHF Swiss Francs (in January 2009, 1 Swiss Franc = USD 0.9); ED emergency department, HSI heaviness of smoking index, km kilometer(s), MDC major diagnostic categories, M.I.N.I. mini-international neuropsychiatric interview, MSSS-5 modified social support survey, PCP primary care practitioner, Prime MD primary care evaluation of mental disorders, PVS partner violence screen, SF-12v2 12-item short-form health survey, version 2