Characteristics and outcomes of patient presentations to the emergency department via police: A scoping review

Background: As emergency department (ED) presentations continue to rise, understanding the complexities of vulnerable populations such as people brought in by police (BIBP) is crucial. This review aimed to map and describe the research about people BIBP to the ED. Design and method: A scoping review, guided by the Joanna Briggs Institute process, was undertaken. The databases CINAHL, Embase and PubMed were searched between November 2017 and July 2022. The Patterns, Advances, Gaps, Evidence for practice, Research recommendations (PAGER) framework was used to guide the analysis. Results: A total of 21 studies were included in the review, originating mainly from westernised countries. Examination of patterns across studies revealed four themes: routinely collected data is used to describe people BIBP to the ED; a focus on mental health care; the relationship between care delivery and outcomes; and the role of police in providing emergency care. Conclusion: There is some understanding of the demographic characteristics, clinical characteristics, and outcomes of people BIBP to the ED. Knowledge gaps surrounding sociodemographic factors, prehospital and ED care delivery for people BIBP require further investigation to optimise outcomes for this vulnerable cohort of presenters. (c) 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of College of Emergency Nursing Australasia. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/ 4.0/).

Automated summary

As the number of emergency department visits continues to increase, understanding the complexities of vulnerable populations, such as individuals brought in by police, is crucial. This scoping review analyzed 21 relevant studies and identified four themes: the use of routinely collected data, emphasis on mental health care, the relationship between care delivery and outcomes, and the role of police in providing emergency care. While there is some understanding of the demographic and clinical characteristics of this population, further investigation is needed to fill knowledge gaps regarding sociodemographic factors and care delivery to optimize outcomes.