The Role of Proximity in the Use of Hospital Emergency Departments

In Stockholm, greatly increased utilization of hospital emergency departments has caused considerable strain on the emergency services. A similar trend has been reported from cities in other countries. Using record‐linkage we studied in a defined population the relationship between visiting rates in the hospital emergency department and a) travelling distance and b) utilization of outpatient clinics and inpatient care. The results indicate that visiting rates are strongly correlated with travelling distance from the hospital and utilization of inpatient and outpatient hospital care. The results have implications for planning and location of resources.