1
|
MacIsaac M, Peter E. Emergency department crowding: An examination of older adults and vulnerability. Nurs Ethics 2024:9697330241238333. [PMID: 38476026 DOI: 10.1177/09697330241238333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
Emergency departments in many nations worldwide have been struggling for many years with crowding and the subsequent provision of care in hallways and other unconventional spaces. While this issue has been investigated and analyzed from multiple perspectives, the ethical dimensions of the place of emergency department care have been underexamined. Specifically, the impacts of the place of care on patients and their caregivers have not been robustly explored in the literature. In this article, a feminist ethics and human geography framing is utilized to argue that care provision in open and unconventional spaces in the emergency department can be unethical, as vulnerability can be amplified by the place of care for patients and their caregivers. The situational and pathogenic vulnerability of patients can be heightened by the place of the emergency department and by the constraints to healthcare providers' capacity to promote patient comfort, privacy, communication, and autonomy in this setting. The arrangements of care in the emergency department are of particular concern for older adults given the potential increased risks for vulnerability in this population. As such, hallway healthcare can reflect the normalized inequities of structural ageism. Recommendations are provided to address this complicated ethical issue, including making visible the moral experiences of patients and their caregivers, as well as those of healthcare providers in the emergency department, advocating for a systems-level accounting for the needs of older adults in the emergency department and more broadly in healthcare, as well as highlighting the need for further research to examine how to foster autonomy and care in the emergency department to reduce the risk for vulnerabilities.
Collapse
|
2
|
Memedovich A, Asante B, Khan M, Eze N, Holroyd BR, Lang E, Kashuba S, Clement F. Strategies for improving ED-related outcomes of older adults who seek care in emergency departments: a systematic review. Int J Emerg Med 2024; 17:16. [PMID: 38302890 PMCID: PMC10835906 DOI: 10.1186/s12245-024-00584-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite constituting 14% of the general population, older adults make up almost a quarter of all emergency department (ED) visits. These visits often do not adequately address patient needs, with nearly 80% of older patients discharged from the ED carrying at least one unattended health concern. Many interventions have been implemented and tested in the ED to care for older adults, which have not been recently synthesized. METHODS A systematic review was conducted to identify interventions initiated in the ED to address the needs of older adults. Embase, MEDLINE, CINAHL, Cochrane CENTRAL, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and grey literature were searched from January 2013 to January 18, 2023. Comparative studies assessing interventions for older adults in the ED were included. The quality of controlled trials was assessed with the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials, and the quality of observational studies was assessed with the risk of bias in non-randomized studies of interventions tool. Due to heterogeneity, meta-analysis was not possible. RESULTS Sixteen studies were included, assessing 12 different types of interventions. Overall study quality was low to moderate: 10 studies had a high risk of bias, 5 had a moderate risk of bias, and only 1 had a low risk of bias. Follow-up telephone calls, referrals, geriatric assessment, pharmacist-led interventions, physical therapy services, care plans, education, case management, home visits, care transition interventions, a geriatric ED, and care coordination were assessed, many of which were combined to create multi-faceted interventions. Care coordination with additional support and early assessment and intervention were the only two interventions that consistently reported improved outcomes. Most studies did not report significant improvements in ED revisits, hospitalization, time spent in the ED, costs, or outpatient utilization. Two studies reported on patient perspectives. CONCLUSION Few interventions demonstrate promise in reducing ED revisits for older adults, and this review identified significant gaps in understanding other outcomes, patient perspectives, and the effectiveness in addressing underlying health needs. This could suggest, therefore, that most revisits in this population are unavoidable manifestations of frailty and disease trajectory. Efforts to improve older patients' needs should focus on interventions initiated outside the ED.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ally Memedovich
- Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Benedicta Asante
- Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Maha Khan
- Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Nkiruka Eze
- Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Brian R Holroyd
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- Emergency Strategic Clinical Network, Alberta Health Services, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Eddy Lang
- Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Emergency Strategic Clinical Network, Alberta Health Services, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- O'Brien Institute of Public Health, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Sherri Kashuba
- Emergency Strategic Clinical Network, Alberta Health Services, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Fiona Clement
- Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
- O'Brien Institute of Public Health, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Furlong K, Patey C. 'Community emergencies' and 'social admissions': so this is how we label and treat older adult patients in the emergency department? CAN J EMERG MED 2023; 25:791-793. [PMID: 37580640 DOI: 10.1007/s43678-023-00573-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Kayla Furlong
- Discipline of Emergency Medicine, Memorial University, St. John's, NL, Canada.
- Discipline of Family Medicine, Memorial University, St. John's, NL, Canada.
- Carbonear Institute for Rural Reach and Innovation By the Sea, Carbonear, NL, Canada.
| | - Christopher Patey
- Discipline of Emergency Medicine, Memorial University, St. John's, NL, Canada
- Discipline of Family Medicine, Memorial University, St. John's, NL, Canada
- Carbonear Institute for Rural Reach and Innovation By the Sea, Carbonear, NL, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Mowbray FI, Ellis B, Schumacher C, Heckman G, de Wit K, Strum RP, Jones A, Correia RH, Mercier E, Costa AP. The Association Between Frailty and a Nurse-Identified Need for Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment Referral from the Emergency Department. Can J Nurs Res 2023; 55:404-412. [PMID: 36632010 PMCID: PMC10416548 DOI: 10.1177/08445621221144667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Emergency nurses commonly conduct geriatric assessments in the emergency department (ED). However, little is known about what geriatric syndromes or clinical presentations prompt a nurse to document an identified need for comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA). OBJECTIVES To examine the association between geriatric syndromes, like frailty, and a nurse-identified need for a CGA following emergency care. METHODS We conducted a secondary analysis of a multi-province Canadian cohort from the InterRAI Multinational Cohort Study. We collected data at ED registration from patients 75 years of age and older (n = 2,274) from eight ED sites across Canada between November 2009 and April 2012. Geriatric syndromes were assessed by trained emergency nurses using the interRAI ED Contact Assessment; and we retrospectively calculated the ED frailty index. We employed binary logistic regression to determine the adjusted associations between geriatric syndromes and a nurse-identified need for a CGA. RESULTS Approximately one-quarter (28%) of older adults were identified to need a CGA following emergency care. A 0.1 unit increase in the ED frailty index increased the likelihood of a nurse identify a need for CGA (RD: 6.6; 95% CI = 5.5-7.9). Most geriatric syndromes increased the probability of a nurse documenting the need for a CGA. CONCLUSION When assessed by emergency nurses, the identified need for CGA is strongly linked to the presence of geriatric syndromes, including frailty. We provide face validity for the continued use of emergency nurses for screening and assessing older ED patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fabrice I. Mowbray
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Brittany Ellis
- Department of Emergency Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Connie Schumacher
- School of Nursing, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, Brock University, St. Catherine's, Ontario, Canada
| | - George Heckman
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kerstin de Wit
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ryan P. Strum
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Aaron Jones
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Rebecca H. Correia
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Eric Mercier
- Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada
- Centre de recherche sur les soins et les services de première ligne, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada
| | - Andrew P. Costa
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Mowbray FI, Heckman G, Hirdes JP, Costa AP, Beauchet O, Archambault P, Eagles D, Wang HT, Perry JJ, Sinha SK, Jantzi M, Hebert P. Agreement and prognostic accuracy of three ED vulnerability screeners: findings from a prospective multi-site cohort study. CAN J EMERG MED 2023; 25:209-217. [PMID: 36857018 PMCID: PMC10014815 DOI: 10.1007/s43678-023-00458-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the agreement between three emergency department (ED) vulnerability screeners, including the InterRAI ED Screener, ER2, and PRISMA-7. Our secondary objective was to evaluate the discriminative accuracy of screeners in predicting discharge home and extended ED lengths-of-stay (> 24 h). METHODS We conducted a nested sub-group study using data from a prospective multi-site cohort study evaluating frailty in older ED patients presenting to four Quebec hospitals. Research nurses assessed patients consecutively with the three screeners. We employed Cohen's Kappa to determine agreement, with high-risk cut-offs of three and four for the PRISMA-7, six for the ER2, and five for the interRAI ED Screener. We used logistic regression to evaluate the discriminative accuracy of instruments, testing them in their dichotomous, full, and adjusted forms (adjusting for age, sex, and hospital academic status). RESULTS We evaluated 1855 older ED patients across the four hospital sites. The mean age of our sample was 84 years. Agreement between the interRAI ED Screener and the ER2 was fair (K = 0.37; 95% CI 0.33-0.40); agreement between the PRISMA-7 and ER2 was also fair (K = 0.39; 95% CI = 0.36-0.43). Agreement between interRAI ED Screener and PRISMA-7 was poor (K = 0.19; 95% CI 0.16-0.22). Using a cut-off of four for PRISMA-7 improved agreement with the ER2 (K = 0.55; 95% CI 0.51-0.59) and the ED Screener (K = 0.32; 95% CI 0.2-0.36). When predicting discharge home, the concordance statistics among models were similar in their dichotomous (c = 0.57-0.61), full (c = 0.61-0.64), and adjusted forms (c = 0.63-0.65), and poor for all models when predicting extended length-of-stay. CONCLUSION ED vulnerability scores from the three instruments had a fair agreement and were associated with important patient outcomes. The interRAI ED Screener best identifies older ED patients at greatest risk, while the PRISMA-7 and ER2 are more sensitive instruments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fabrice I Mowbray
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - George Heckman
- School of Public Health Science, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
- Schlegel Research Institute for Aging, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - John P Hirdes
- School of Public Health Science, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Andrew P Costa
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Olivier Beauchet
- Department of Medicine and Research Center of the Geriatric University Institute of Montreal, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Division of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, Sir Mortimer B. Davis Jewish General Hospital and Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Patrick Archambault
- Department of Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
- Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux de Chaudière-Appalaches, Sainte-Marie, QC, Canada
- Division of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Debra Eagles
- Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Han Ting Wang
- Division of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Universite de Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Jeffrey J Perry
- Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Samir K Sinha
- Division of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, Sinai Health and University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Division of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Micaela Jantzi
- School of Public Health Science, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Paul Hebert
- Division of Palliative Care, Department of Medicine, Bruyere Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|