LO64: Variation in Alberta emergency department patient populations

Introduction: Increasing pressures on the health care system, particularly in emergency departments (EDs), make it critical to understand changing ED case-mix, patient demographics and care needs, and resource utilization. Our objective is to assess Alberta (AB) ED volumes, utilization and case mix, stratified by ED type. This knowledge will help identify opportunities for system change and quality improvement. Methods: Data from Alberta Health Services administrative databases, including the National Ambulatory Care Reporting System, ED Admission/Discharge/Transfer data, and Comprehensive Ambulatory Care Classification System codes, were linked for all ED visits from 2010-17. Data were stratified by seven facility categories: tertiary referral (TR), regional referral (RR), community600 inpatient discharges (CM), community