Understanding the 100 Highest Users of Health and Social Services in San Francisco

Health system leaders and clinicians recognize the importance of integrating data that elucidates both the medical and social needs of patients. Research on frequent emergency department (ED) users – variably defined as patients with ≥4 annual ED visits – has focused primarily on medical services. Frequent ED users have a high prevalence of mental health and substance use diagnoses, and complex social needs like homelessness, but few studies have examined their service utilization across multiple medical and non-medical domains.