Sociology and health: understanding nonurgent E.R. visits in Humboldt County

Jimmy Valdes

Graduation Date

2011

Document Type

Thesis

Program

Other

Program

Thesis (M.A.)--Humboldt State University, Sociology, 2011

Committee Chair Name

Sheila L. Steinberg

Committee Chair Affiliation

HSU Faculty or Staff

Keywords

Emergency room, Humboldt State University -- Theses -- Sociology, Emergency department, Epidemiology, Medical sociology

Abstract

In this project I examined patterns of nonurgent use of emergency rooms (E.R.'s) in Humboldt County. Secondary data was provided by the Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services for a three month period from July to October 2010. The data was a Health Monitoring Systems electronic spreadsheet that included de-identified demographic, spatial, and chief complaint information. The analysis was an assessment surrounding the nature of nonurgent utilization of the E.R. The research question was: what is the nature of nonurgent E.R. visits in Humboldt County? The methodology consisted of first quantifying raw data using frequencies and other descriptive statistics. Secondly, spatial analysis using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and statistics using chi square and t tests were conducted. The research structure of this study utilized a grounded theory approach. Grounded theory is a research design that uses existing formal theories to contextualize, not dictate, research questions and their relationship with empirical findings. Upon completion, the results were provided to the Public Health Branch of the Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services.

https://scholarworks.calstate.edu/concern/theses/hh63sx94d

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