Monitoring the Impact of Heat Waves with Emergency Service Utilization Data in Los Angeles County

Authors

  • Emily Kajita Los Angeles County Dept. of Public Health
  • Patricia Araki Los Angeles County Dept. of Public Health
  • Monica Luarca Los Angeles County Dept. of Public Health
  • Bessie Hwang Los Angeles County Dept. of Public Health

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5210/ojphi.v5i1.4516

Abstract

We describe Los Angeles County's (LAC's) usage of electronic emergency department (ED) and 911 emergency dispatch center (EDC) call data during heat waves for situational awareness. We assess the correlation between these indicators as well as with temperatures to conclude that total ED volume is not an adequate indicator for assessing the impact of heat on emergency service utilization. Heat-specific ED visits and EDC calls, however, provide more meaningful measures of heat-related illnesses in LAC.

Author Biography

Emily Kajita, Los Angeles County Dept. of Public Health

Emily Kajita is an epidemiologist whose primary job is to maintain the syndromic surveillance databases for Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

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Published

2013-03-23

How to Cite

Kajita, E., Araki, P., Luarca, M., & Hwang, B. (2013). Monitoring the Impact of Heat Waves with Emergency Service Utilization Data in Los Angeles County. Online Journal of Public Health Informatics, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.5210/ojphi.v5i1.4516

Issue

Section

Poster Presentations