Non-Urgent ED Utilization High For People With PsA, AS in Rural Areas

Victor Mocanu, MD

Credit: Research Gate

People with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS), particularly in rural settings, frequently utilized emergency departments (Eds) for less and non-urgent health concerns, highlighting the need for more accessible health services in these areas.¹

“Greater accessibility to ambulatory services may mitigate emergency department (ED) presentations for lower acuity issues. This study examined ED utilization patterns for individuals with PsA and ankylosing spondylitis AS in a universal access healthcare setting,” lead investigator Victor Mocanu, MD, Post-Graduate Medical Education, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, and colleagues wrote.¹

Mocanu and colleagues conducted a study using linked population-based administrative datasets in Alberta, Canada…