[An exploration of factors that influence the frequency of the use of hospital emergency services and admissions].
OBJECTIVE: To examine how some factors connected with Continuous Care Points (CCP) affect attendance at hospital Casualty departments and admittance from them. DESIGN: Ecological study. SETTING: León Health area. PATIENTS AND OTHER PARTICIPANTS: All the CCP's belonging to the León Health area. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Average attendance at hospital Casualties was 15.7 per 1,000 inhabitants per month. Those patients who brought with them a P10 form were more likely to be admitted (39.5% to 26.5%) than those who did not bring this form (p < 0.01). It was concluded from a regression analysis that the distance between the CCP and the hospital decisively affects attendance at hospital Casualties (r = -0.74) and that the admission rate is positively related to distance (r = 0.72) and negatively to the said attendance at Casualties (r = -0.77). CONCLUSION: Use of hospital Casualty departments increases as accessibility (distance) improves. Distance and the ageing of the population are factors which have an important effect on the admission rates from Casualties.