Emergency department visits
Typically, the need to visit the emergency department occurs when there is an illness (physical or mental) or injury. Note that geographic areas with fewer walk-in clinics could have higher rates of emergency department visits, as patients go to the emergency department for non-emergency care.
Emergency department visits by geographic area
Key findings:
- In the Sudbury & District Health Unit (SDHU) area there were 103,436 emergency department visits in 2013.
- In 2013, the emergency department visit rate for the SDHU area was 511 visits per 1,000 population.
- The rate of emergency department visits in the SDHU area is much lower than the rate for northeastern Ontario and has been only slightly higher than the overall Ontario rate.
- The emergency department visit rate in the SDHU area has remained stable between 2004 and 2013.
Notes:
- Rates are age-standardized using the 2006 Canadian population.
- Data Source: Ambulatory Emergency Visit Data and Population Estimates and Projections, Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, IntelliHEALTH Ontario, Extracted April 2015.
Figure: Annual age-standardized emergency department visit rate, by geographic area, 2004-2013
Table: Annual age-standardized emergency department visit rate, by geographic area, 2004-2013
| Geographic Region | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 |
| SDHU | 480.1 | 493.3 | 490.1 | 508.3 | 518.5 | 505.0 | 481.7 | 491.3 | 501.3 | 510.5 |
| Northeast | 747.7 | 788.8 | 769.9 | 763.2 | 796.4 | 783.9 | 754.9 | 766.4 | 777.9 | 765.5 |
| Ontario | 400.8 | 415.2 | 415.4 | 411.8 | 414.7 | 421.4 | 418.3 | 428.6 | 438.1 | 430.8 |
Table: Annual number of cases of emergency department visits, by geographic area, 2004-2013
| Geographic Region | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 |
| SDHU | 94354 | 97166 | 97448 | 101459 | 104059 | 101692 | 97305 | 99099 | 101327 | 103436 |
| Northeast | 423618 | 447105 | 437730 | 434214 | 453513 | 445428 | 430929 | 436292 | 442189 | 434734 |
| Ontario | 4937993 | 5182926 | 5252936 | 5256552 | 5352702 | 5495224 | 5526308 | 5727058 | 5931296 | 5902652 |
Emergency department visits by Greater Sudbury and outlying areas
Key findings:
- In 2013, there were 65,652 emergency department visits by residents of Greater Sudbury and 37,784 visits by residents of the SDHU district office areas.
- The emergency department visit rate was 390 visits per 1,000 population in Greater Sudbury and 1,136 visits per 1,000 population in the SDHU district office areas in 2013.
- Between 2004 and 2013, the rate in Greater Sudbury remained stable, whereas the rate in the SDHU district office areas increased slightly.
- The rate in Greater Sudbury has been consistently lower than the rate in the SDHU district office areas.
Notes:
- Rates are age-standardized using the 2006 Canadian population.
- Data Source: Ambulatory Emergency Visit Data and Population Estimates and Projections, Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, IntelliHEALTH Ontario, Extracted April 2015.
Figure: Annual age-standardized emergency department visit rate, Greater Sudbury vs. Sudbury & District Health Unit (SDHU) district office areas, 2004-2013
Table: Annual age-standardized emergency department visit rate, Greater Sudbury vs. Sudbury & District Health Unit (SDHU) district office areas, 2004-2013
| District | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 |
| Greater Sudbury | 349.9 | 361.3 | 364.1 | 380.7 | 396.9 | 375.8 | 351.0 | 358.0 | 373.3 | 390.1 |
| SDHU District Office Areas | 1079.1 | 1121.3 | 1097.9 | 1126.4 | 1112.1 | 1144.9 | 1122.8 | 1163.5 | 1156.2 | 1135.5 |
Table: Annual number of emergency department visits, Greater Sudbury vs. Sudbury & District Health Unit (SDHU) district office areas, 2004-2013
| District | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 |
| Greater Sudbury | 56288 | 58507 | 59654 | 62670 | 65704 | 62544 | 58518 | 59865 | 62613 | 65652 |
| SDHU District Office Areas | 38066 | 38659 | 37794 | 38789 | 38355 | 39148 | 38787 | 39234 | 38714 | 37784 |
Emergency department visit by sex
Key findings:
- In 2013, there were 49,077 emergency department visits among men and 54,355 emergency department visits among women residing in the SDHU area.
- In the SDHU area, the emergency department visit rates for 2013 were 494 visits per 1,000 men and 530 visits per 1,000 women.
- Between 2004 and 2013, the rates among males and females have been relatively similar and remained consistent over time.
Notes:
- Rates are age-standardized using the 2006 Canadian Population.
- Data Source: Ambulatory Emergency Visit Data and Population Estimates and Projections, Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, IntelliHEALTH Ontario, Extracted April 2015.
Figure: Annual age-standardized emergency department visit rate, by sex, Sudbury & District Health Unit (SDHU) area, 2004-2013
Table: Annual age-standardized emergency department visit rate, by sex, Sudbury & District Health Unit (SDHU) area, 2004-2013
| Sex | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 |
| Males | 492.0 | 505.1 | 501.1 | 520.1 | 522.2 | 501.9 | 473.1 | 485.7 | 492.0 | 493.9 |
| Females | 471.1 | 483.9 | 482.0 | 498.6 | 518.0 | 510.9 | 491.6 | 498.9 | 513.0 | 530.1 |
Table: Annual number of emergency department visits, by sex, Sudbury & District Health Unit (SDHU) area, 2004-2013
| Sex | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 |
| Males | 47141 | 48620 | 48691 | 50817 | 51255 | 49543 | 46812 | 48030 | 48761 | 49077 |
| Females | 47213 | 48546 | 48756 | 50642 | 52804 | 52149 | 50493 | 51069 | 52556 | 54355 |
Emergency department visits by age group
Key findings:
- In 2013, residents of the SDHU area who were 20 to 44 years of age visited the emergency department 32,560 times, more than any other age group.
- The oldest age group, those 75 years and over, had the highest rate of emergency department visits with 885 visits per 1,000 population.
- Between 2004 and 2013, the rate of emergency department visits remained relatively stable over time.
Notes:
- Data Source: Ambulatory Emergency Visit Data and Population Estimates and Projections, Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, IntelliHEALTH Ontario, Extracted April 2015.
Figure: Annual age-standardized emergency department visit rate, all causes, by age group, Sudbury & District Health Unit (SDHU) area, 2004-2013
Table: Annual age-standardized emergency department visit rate, all causes, by age group, Sudbury & District Health Unit (SDHU) area, 2004-2013
| Age Group (Years) | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 |
| 0-19 | 431.7 | 460.1 | 442.6 | 461.9 | 469.2 | 477.2 | 444.3 | 462.6 | 462.1 | 450.4 |
| 20-44 | 471.8 | 481.9 | 493.9 | 514.6 | 534.3 | 507.7 | 474.8 | 489.9 | 506.3 | 522.0 |
| 45-64 | 426.4 | 430.4 | 426.3 | 439.8 | 448.5 | 440.4 | 429.8 | 427.5 | 440.4 | 454.2 |
| 65-74 | 538.3 | 539.2 | 557.0 | 576.8 | 585.1 | 573.8 | 568.6 | 572.0 | 571.3 | 570.2 |
| 75+ | 824.2 | 850.4 | 816.5 | 844.0 | 834.1 | 806.7 | 812.3 | 823.7 | 839.3 | 884.9 |
Table: Annual number of emergency department visits, all causes, by age group, Sudbury & District Health Unit (SDHU) area, 2004-2013
| Age Group (Years) | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 |
| 0-19 | 20412 | 21449 | 20569 | 21164 | 21301 | 21450 | 19639 | 20144 | 19737 | 18895 |
| 20-44 | 32017 | 32378 | 32895 | 33843 | 34783 | 32531 | 29828 | 30496 | 31584 | 32560 |
| 45-64 | 23297 | 24050 | 24323 | 25694 | 26748 | 26675 | 26436 | 26388 | 27031 | 27647 |
| 65-74 | 8583 | 8662 | 9064 | 9519 | 9893 | 9926 | 10004 | 10327 | 10814 | 11258 |
| 75+ | 10045 | 10627 | 10597 | 11239 | 11334 | 11110 | 11398 | 11744 | 12161 | 13076 |
This item was last modified on March 26, 2018
