High Consumers of Health Care in Emergency Units: how to Improve Their Quality of Care

In this paper we describe the development of emergency department (ED) utilization in the catchment area of Huddinge University Hospital, & the attempts made to improve the quality of care for high consumers of ED care. A long-term follow-up showed that without any intervention, frequent ED users are a high-risk group as regards morbidity & mortality, especially with respect to suicide. Prevention with extensive & continuous treatment programs should therefore be planned for frequent ED users.