Table 3 Factors associated with patient hospitalization from emergency department – generalized estimating equations (GEE)

Gender

Male

1.4 (1.2–1.5)

P < 0.001

1.5 (1.4–1.6)

P < 0.001

Female

1

1

Age (year)

1.1 (1.1–1.2)

P < 0.001

1.0 (1.0–1.0)

P < 0.001

Residential district

Other than Tel Aviv

1.4 (1.3–1.5)

P < 0.001

1.4 (1.2–1.7)

P < 0.001

Tel Aviv

1

1

ED division

Internal medicine

1.5 (1.3–1.6)

P < 0.001

1.8 (1.6–1.8)

P < 0.001

Surgical

1

1

Year of the visit

2007–2008

1.05 (1.0–1.1)

P < 0.004

0.9 (0.9–1.0)

P < 0.001

2009–2011

1

1

Shift

Evening

1.1 (1.0–1.3)

P < 0.005

1.0 (1.0–1.0)

P < 0.006

Night

1.0 (0.9–1.2)

P < 0.661

0.9 (0.9–1.0)

P < 0.001

Morning

1

1

Day of the week

Sunday

1.1 (1.05–1.2)

P < 0.045

1.2 (1.1–1.2)

P < 0.000

Monday-Thursday

1.1 (1.04–1.2)

P < 0.043

1.1 (1.1–1.2)

P < 0.001

Friday-Saturday

1

1

Mode of referral

Health institute

2.5 (2.2–2.7)

P < 0.001

1.5 (1.4–1.6)

P < 0.001

Employer

0.2 (0.1–0.6)

P < 0.005

0.4 (0.4–0.5)

P < 0.001

Self-referral

1

1

Patient complaint

Violence

0.6 (0.4–0.9)

P < 0.004

0.9 (0.8–1.0)

P < 0.003

Industrial accident

0.4 (0.3–0.5)

P < 0.001

0.3 (0.2–0.3)

P < 0.001

Road accident

0.5 (0.3–0.9)

P < 0.009

0.3 (0.3–0.3)

P < 0.001

Unknown

2.7 (2.0–3.8)

P < 0.001

1.3 (1.2–1.4)

P < 0.001

Illness

1

1

Average length of stay in ED until discharge or hospitalization (hour)

0.9 (0.9–0.9)

P < 0.013

0.9(0.8–0.8)

P < 0.001