Can consultant geriatrician led comprehensive geriatric assessment in the emergency department reduce hospital admission rates? A systematic review

Emergency nurses' and physicians' perceptions and self-assessed competence in providing care to older patients

AIM

This study examined emergency nurses' and physicians' perceptions and self-assessed competence in caring for older patients.

METHODS

Data were analyzed using a mixed methods approach and quantitative data were supplemented with qualitative responses. There were 451 nurses and physicians working at the two examined emergency departments, with 125 of them responding to the survey; the response rate was 27.7 %.

RESULTS

Physicians and nurses felt that acutely ill older patients are a responsibility of emergency services. Nurses were more critical than physicians (p = 0.000) of the failure to recognize older patients as a special group at the emergency department. Over half (51.8 %) of the physicians and 29.0 % of the nurses (p = 0.027) felt that older patients' special needs had been considered during facility planning. Nurses and physicians described the problems related to multimorbidity and aging relatively similarly. Both expressed a need for more knowledge in geriatrics and gerontology.

CONCLUSION

Future facility planning and care processes at the emergency department should better consider the specific needs of older patients. The results also emphasize a need to more effectively prioritize competence and educational needs of emergency staff and recognize caring for older patients as a specific competence area in the emergency department.

Older Adult Patients in the Emergency Department: Which Patients should be Selected for a Different Approach?

BACKGROUND

While multidimensional and interdisciplinary assessment of older adult patients improves their short-term outcomes after evaluation in the emergency department (ED), this assessment is time-consuming and ill-suited for the busy environment. Thus, identifying patients who will benefit from this strategy is challenging. Therefore, this study aimed to identify older adult patients suitable for a different ED approach as well as independent variables associated with poor short-term clinical outcomes.

METHODS

We included all patients ≥65 years attending 52 EDs in Spain over 7 days. Sociodemographic, comorbidity, and baseline functional status data were collected. The outcomes were 30-day mortality, re-presentation, hospital readmission, and the composite of all outcomes.

RESULTS

During the study among 96,014 patients evaluated in the ED, we included 23,338 patients ≥65 years-mean age, 78.4±8.1 years; 12,626 (54.1%) women. During follow-up, 5,776 patients (24.75%) had poor outcomes after evaluation in the ED: 1,140 (4.88%) died, 4,640 (20.51) returned to the ED, and 1,739 (7.69%) were readmitted 30 days after discharge following the index visit. A model including male sex, age ≥75 years, arrival by ambulance, Charlson Comorbidity Index ≥3, and functional impairment had a C-index of 0.81 (95% confidence interval, 0.80-0.82) for 30-day mortality.

CONCLUSION

Male sex, age ≥75 years, arrival by ambulance, functional impairment, or severe comorbidity are features of patients who could benefit from approaches in the ED different from the common triage to improve the poor short-term outcomes of this population.

Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment in the Emergency Department: A Prospective Cohort Study of Process, Clinical, and Patient-Reported Outcomes

Background

This study aimed to explore the process, clinical, and patient-reported outcomes of older adults who received an interdisciplinary Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) in the emergency department (ED) over a six-month period after their initial ED attendance.

Patients and Methods

A prospective cohort study recruited older adults aged ≥65 years who presented to the ED of a university teaching hospital in Ireland. Baseline assessment data comprising a battery of demographic variables and validated indices were obtained at the index ED attendance. Telephone interviews were completed with participants at 30- and 180-day follow-up. The primary outcome was incidence of hospital admission following the index ED attendance. Secondary outcomes included participant satisfaction, incidence of functional decline, health-related quality of life, incidence of unscheduled ED re-attendance(s), hospital (re)admission(s), nursing home admission, and death.

Results

A total of 133 participants (mean age 82.43 years, standard deviation = 6.89 years; 71.4% female) were recruited; 21.8% of the cohort were admitted to hospital following the index ED attendance with a significant decline in function reported at hospital discharge (Z = 2.97, p = 0.003). Incidence of 30- and 180-day unscheduled ED re-attendance was 10.5% and 24.8%, respectively. The outcome at the index ED attendance was a significant predictor of adverse outcomes whereby those who were discharged home had significantly lower odds of multiple adverse process outcomes at 30- and 180-day follow-up, and significantly higher function and health-related quality of life at 30-day follow-up.

Conclusion

While this study was observational in nature, findings suggest CGA in the ED may improve outcomes by mitigating against the adverse effects of potentially avoidable hospital admissions and focusing on a longitudinal approach to healthcare delivery at the primary-secondary care interface. Future research should be underpinned by an experimental study design to address key limitations in this study.

Emergency calls concerning older patients: Are the appropriate questions asked?

AIM

In the present study, we evaluated the triage process particularly for older patients after calls to Emergency Medical Call Centers (ECC), according to the geriatric assessment tool.

METHODS

In this observational population-based cross-sectional study in the Rhône (France), we analyzed the audiotapes of all calls received by ECC concerning patients aged ≥75 years, during seven randomly selected days, over a period of 1 year. We analyzed whether information about seven key items, predefined by a panel of experts as essential for quality telephone triage of seniors, was actually collected.

RESULTS

Among 4168 calls, 712 (17.1%) concerned patients >75 years (mean ± SD, age 84.6 ± 5.6 years). The mean duration of calls was 3 min 28 s. Information about living arrangements (alone or not), dependency, multiple pathologies, polymedication, ability to walk independently or with help, and hospitalization in the previous 3 months was not collected in 20%, 42%, 40%, 45%, 58% and 61% of calls, respectively. All seven geriatric items were collected for only 54 (7.8%) calls, and only three criteria collected for 277 (40%) calls. Nurse-managed calls were significantly associated with the collection of less geriatric items compared with physician-managed calls.

CONCLUSION

Key information is particularly important to guide the orientation, and further management of older patients may be lacking during the telephone triage of patients in ECCs. This may represent an important level of improvement of the triage process, to address the needs of older patients better and avoid inappropriate emergency department visits. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2023; 23: 54-59.

Exploring the implementation of an outreach specialist program for nursing home residents in Macao: A multisite, qualitative study

Background

The "Specialist Medical Outreach Project (SMOP)" involving inter-disciplinary hospital-based healthcare professionals is a government initiative that aims to provide integrative specialist care to high-risk residents at the nursing homes. However, research exploring the implementation and impact of SMOP is lacking. This study aimed to evidence the impact of SMOP on the quality of care at the nursing home and the key contextual determinants influencing SMOP outcomes.

Method

Semi-structured key informant audio-recorded face-to-face interviews were conducted with eight managers, six doctors, 28 nursing staff, and seven pharmacy staff at the nursing homes participating in the SMOP to collect insights about how SMOP was operated and performed, and the impact of SMOP as observed and expected. Participants were recruited with purposive sampling. A thematic analysis approach was employed and key themes were identified using open coding, grouping, and categorizing.

Results

Forty-nine interviews were conducted. Thematic analysis identified three principal themes: the overall perception about SMOP, the benefits as observed; and the areas of improvement. Together with the 10 subthemes, the results highlighted the expectations for SMOP to address the unmet needs and promote patient-centered care, and the benefits of SMOP in supporting effective use of resources for the nursing home, reducing the risks of adverse events for the residents, promoting communication and capacity building for the healthcare providers and facilitating efficient use of healthcare resources for the health system. Requests for more frequent visits by a larger inter-disciplinary specialist team were raised. Careful staff and workflow planning, and mechanisms for data-sharing and communication across care settings were deemed the most important actions for improvement.

Conclusion

It is a general perception that the SMOP is beneficial in enhancing the quality of care for high-risk residents in the nursing home in Macao. Cross-sector inter-disciplinary collaboration and efficient data-sharing and communication mechanism play a crucial role in ensuring the success of the program. A robust assessment framework to monitor and evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the program is yet to be developed.

Diagnosing Frailty in Primary Care Practice

Frailty is a complex age-related clinical condition with increased vulnerability to negative health outcomes that manifest as a multidimensional syndrome and hence, a challenge to identify at-risk populations. We aim to summarize the implementation of strategies to diagnose fragility in family practice using current evidence. We searched the PubMed and Google Scholar databases for relevant articles, using the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms "Frailty," "Frailty Scales," and "Primary Health Care." All original research articles on the elderly population (65 years of age or older) published in English and the last five years were included. Frailty diagnosis has resulted in positive outcomes in the overall literature. Recent hospital admission may indicate a health problem that can end up in a negative outcome and has been often described as associated with frailty. It was also shown to affect the intensive care units' mortality, in-hospital mortality, and long-term mortality. However, multiple screening instruments have been developed and validated to improve feasibility in clinical practice. The frequent lack of agreement between frailty instruments has slowed the broad implementation of these tools. The impacts of frailty warrant an upstream, proactive, holistic, interprofessional primary care approach to its identification, assessment, and management. It is a preventable disorder; identifying elderly patients at risk in primary care can help shape appropriate care processes tailored to their needs. This literature review aims to demonstrate the importance and strategies in identifying frailty in primary care settings and assess its impact on several outcomes. 

A physiotherapy-led transition to home intervention for older adults following emergency department discharge: protocol for a pilot feasibility randomised controlled trial

Background

Older adults frequently attend the emergency department (ED) and experience high rates of adverse outcomes following ED presentation including functional decline, ED re-presentation and unplanned hospital admission. The development of effective interventions to prevent such outcomes is a key priority for research and service provision. This paper reports a protocol designed to evaluate the feasibility of conducting a three arm randomised controlled trial (RCT) within the ED setting and in the patient’s home. The interventions are comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA), ED PLUS and usual care.

Methods

The ED PLUS pilot trial is designed as a feasibility RCT conducted in the ED and Acute Medical Assessment Unit of a university teaching hospital in the mid-west region of Ireland. We aim to recruit 30 patients, aged 65 years and over presenting to the ED with undifferentiated medical complaints and discharged within 72 h of index visit.

Patients will be randomised by a computer in a ratio of 1:1:1 to deliver usual care, CGA or ED PLUS during a 6-month study period. A randomised algorithm is used to perform randomization. CGA will include a medical assessment, medication review, nursing assessment, falls assessment, assessment of mobility and stairs, transfers, personal care, activities of daily living (ADLs), social supports and baseline cognition. ED PLUS, a physiotherapist led, multidisciplinary intervention, aims to bridge the transition of care between the index visit to the ED and the community by initiating a CGA intervention in the ED and implementing a 6-week follow-up self-management programme in the patient’s own home following discharge from the ED. The outcomes will be parameters of the feasibility of the intervention and trial methods and will be assessed quantitatively and qualitatively.

Discussion

Rising ED visits and an ageing population with chronic health issues render ED interventions to reduce adverse outcomes in older adults a research priority. This feasibility RCT will generate data and experience to inform the conduct and delivery of a definite RCT.

Trial registration

The trial was registered in Clinical Trials Protocols and Results System as of 21^st July 2021, with registration number NCT049836020.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40814-021-00954-5.

Systematic geriatric assessment for older patients with frailty in the emergency department: a randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Comprehensive geriatric assessment provided in hospital wards in frail patients admitted to hospital has been shown to reduce mortality and increase the likelihood of living at home later. Systematic geriatric assessment provided in emergency departments (ED) may be effective for reducing days in hospital and unnecessary hospital admissions, but this has not yet been proven in randomised trials.

METHODS

We conducted a single-centre, randomised controlled trial with a parallel-group, superiority design in an academic hospital ED. ED patients aged ≥ 75 years who were frail, or at risk of frailty, as defined by the Clinical Frailty Scale, were included in the trial. Patients were recruited during the period between December 11, 2018 and June 7, 2019, and followed up for 365 days. For the intervention group, systematic geriatric assessment was added to their standard care in the ED, whereas the control group received standard care only. The primary outcome was cumulative hospital stay during 365-day follow-up. The secondary outcomes included: admission rate from the index visit, total hospital admissions, ED-readmissions, proportion of patients living at home at 365 days, 365-day mortality, and fall-related ED-visits.

RESULTS

A total of 432 patients, 63 % female, with median age of 85 years, formed the analytic sample of 213 patients in the intervention group and 219 patients in the control group. Cumulative hospital stay during one-year follow-up as rate per 100 person-years for the intervention and control groups were: 3470 and 3149 days, respectively, with rate ratio of 1.10 (95 % confidence interval, 0.55-2.19, P = .78). Admission rates to hospital wards from the index ED visit for the intervention and control groups were: 62 and 70 %, respectively (P = .10). No significant differences were observed between the groups for any outcomes.

CONCLUSION

Systematic geriatric assessment for older adults with frailty in the ED did not reduce hospital stay during one-year follow-up. No statistically significant difference was observed for any secondary outcomes. More coordinated, continuous interventions should be tested for potential benefits in long-term outcomes.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The trial was registered in the ClinicalTrials.gov (registration number and date NCT03751319 23/11/2018).

Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment and Clinical Outcomes in the Older People at the Emergency Department

Visits by older people to the Emergency Department (ED) have increased in recent decades with higher revisiting and admission rates after discharge, particularly for those with frailties. This study used a before-after design aimed at evaluating Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) screening in older ED patients (aged ≥ 75 years) during the 12-month preintervention period. Additionally, a CGA-based structured follow-up program after ED discharge was executed during the next 12-month intervention period. Amongst the 358 participants (median age 82 years), involving 122 in the preintervention period and 236 in the intervention period, 77 participants (21.5%) were identified as pre-frailty, while 274 (76.5%) were identified as frail using the Fried frailty phenotype. One-hundred ten (110) (30.7%) patients revisited the ED with 73 (20.4%) being admitted and 20 (5.6%) dying within three months after ED discharge. Compared with preintervention and intervention period, it was shown that the rates of admission at the index ED visit (50.8% vs. 23.1%), and mortality (10.7% vs. 3.0%), were both were significantly reduced. Using multivariate regression analysis, it was shown frailty was significantly associated with three-month mortality after adjusting for potential confounders. On the contrary, the program significantly decreased admission and death rate. It is suggested that frailty was prevalent amongst the older ED patients, and should be screened for in order to decrease revisits/admissions after ED discharge.

Can dedicated emergency team and area for older people reduce the hospital admission rate? - An observational pre- and post-intervention study

BACKGROUND

Emergency department (ED) care of older patients is often complex. Geriatric ED guidelines can help to meet this challenge. However, training requirements, the use of time-consuming tools for comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA), a lack of golden standard to identify the frail patients, and the weak evidence of positive outcomes of using CGA in EDs pose barriers to introduce the guidelines. Dedicating an interprofessional team of regular ED medical and nursing staff and an older-friendly ED area can be another approach. Previous studies of geriatrician-led CGA in EDs have reported a reduced hospital admission rate. The aim of this study was to investigate whether a dedicated interprofessional emergency team also can reduce the hospital admission rate without the resources required by the formal use of CGA.

METHODS

An observational pre-post study at a large adult ED, where all patients 80 years or older arriving on weekdays in the intervention period from 2016.09.26 to 2016.11.28 and the corresponding weekdays in the previous year from 2015.09.28 to 2015.11.30 were included. In the intervention period, older patients either received care in the geriatric module by the dedicated team or in the regular team modules for patients of mixed ages. In 2015, all patients received care in regular team modules. The primary outcome measure was the total hospital admission rate and the ED length of stay was the secondary outcome measure.

RESULTS

We included 2377 arrivals in the intervention period, when 26.7% (N = 634) received care in the geriatric module, and 2207 arrivals in the 2015 period. The total hospital admission rate was 61.7% (N = 1466/2377) in the intervention period compared to 64.8% (N = 1431/2207) in 2015 (p = 0.03). The difference was larger for patients treated in the geriatric module, 51.1% compared to 62.1% (95% CI: 56.3 to 68.0%) for patients who would have been eligible in 2015. The ED length of stay was longer in the intervention period.

CONCLUSIONS

An interprofessional team and area dedicated to older patients was associated to a lower hospital admission rate. Further studies are needed to confirm the results.

Models of care for frail older persons who present to the emergency department: a scoping review protocol

BACKGROUND

People aged ≥ 65 years comprise around 1 in 5 emergency department (ED) presentations. Many of these presentations occur due to complications associated with chronic diseases and frailty. This review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of available research regarding models of care for frail older people presenting to the ED.

METHODS

The Joanna Briggs Institute scoping review framework will be used to guide this review. Literature searches will be conducted in the following electronic databases (from January 2009 onwards): CINAHL via EBSCOhost, Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, SocINDEX. Grey literature will be identified through searching Google Scholar. This review will consider primary research studies (including observational and interventional studies) published in English on models of care for frail older people (aged ≥ 65) presenting to the ED. Two researchers will independently screen all citations, full-text articles, and abstract data. Potential disagreements will be resolved through discussion with a third researcher. Data extracted from included studies will include the following: author(s), year of publication, country, research design and aim, time frame of the study, study population and sample size, data collection methods, definition of frailty, model of care, and key findings that pertain to the ability to inform this review. The strength of the body of evidence will be assessed using the National Health and Medical Research Council level of evidence hierarchy body of evidence matrix. Data will be presented in a tabular format and accompanied by a narrative that describes the characteristics of the body of literature.

DISCUSSION

Despite the increased number of ED presentations for frail older people, there has been no synthesis of the sources of evidence of model of care for frail older people in the setting of emergency care. The results of this scoping review will provide an overview of different models of care and help inform future research in the development of models of care for frail older persons, tailored to the healthcare system in the emergency context.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION

This scoping review has been registered in the Open Science Framework (osf.io/h2t94).

Does health and social care provision for the community dwelling older population help to reduce unplanned secondary care, support timely discharge and improve patient well-being? A mixed method meta-review of systematic reviews

Background: This study aimed to identify and examine systematic review evidence of health and social care interventions for the community-dwelling older population regarding unplanned hospital admissions, timely hospital discharge and patient well-being. Methods: A meta-review was conducted using Joanna Briggs and PRISMA guidance. A search strategy was developed: eight bibliographic medical and social science databases were searched, and references of included studies checked. Searches were restricted to OECD countries and to systematic reviews published between January 2013-March 2018. Data extraction and quality appraisal was undertaken by one reviewer with a random sample screened independently by two others. Results: Searches retrieved 21,233 records; using data mining techniques, we identified 8,720 reviews. Following title and abstract and full-paper screening, 71 systematic reviews were included: 62 quantitative, seven qualitative and two mixed methods reviews. There were 52 reviews concerned with healthcare interventions and 19 reviews concerned with social care interventions. This meta-review summarises the evidence and evidence gaps of nine broad types of health and social care interventions. It scrutinises the presence of research in combined health and social care provision, finding it lacking in both definition and detail given. This meta-review debates the overlap of some of the person-centred support provided by community health and social care provision. Research recommendations have been generated by this process for both primary and secondary research. Finally, it proposes that research recommendations can be delivered on an ongoing basis if meta-reviews are conducted as living systematic reviews. Conclusions: This meta-review provides evidence of the effect of health and social care interventions for the community-dwelling older population and identification of evidence gaps. It highlights the lack of evidence for combined health and social care interventions and for the impact of social care interventions on health care outcomes. Registration: PROSPERO ID CRD42018087534; registered on 15 March 2018.

Study protocol for IMAGE: implementing multidisciplinary assessments for geriatric patients in an emergency department observation unit, a hybrid effectiveness/implementation study using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research

BACKGROUND

Older adults in the emergency department (ED) are at high risk for functional decline, unrecognized delirium, falls, and medication interactions. Holistic assessment by a multidisciplinary team in the ED decreases these adverse outcomes and decreases admissions, but there are many barriers to incorporating this type of care during the ED visit.

METHODS

This is a hybrid type II effectiveness-implementation study using a pre-/post-cohort design (n = 380) at a tertiary care academic ED with an ED observation unit (Obs Unit). The intervention is a two-step protocol of (step 1) ED nurses screening adult patients ≥ 65 years old for geriatric needs using the Delirium Triage Screen, 4-Stage Balance Test, and the Identifying Seniors at Risk score. Patients who have geriatric needs identified by this screening but who do not meet hospital admission criteria will (step 2) be placed in the Obs Unit for multidisciplinary geriatric assessment by the hospital's geriatric consultation team, physical therapists, occupational therapists, pharmacists, and/or case managers. Not all patients may require all elements of the multidisciplinary geriatric assessment. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research: Care Transitions Framework was used to identify barriers to implementation. Lean Six Sigma processes will be used to overcome these identified barriers with the goal of achieving geriatric screening rates of > 80%. Implementation success and associated factors will be reported. For the effectiveness aim, pre-/post-cohorts of adults ≥ 65 years old cared for in the Obs Unit will be followed for 90 days post-ED visit (n = 150 pre and 230 post). The primary outcome is the prevention of functional decline. Secondary outcomes include health-related quality of life, new geriatric syndromes identified, new services provided, and Obs Unit metrics such as length of stay and admission rates.

DISCUSSION

A protocol for implementing integrated multidisciplinary geriatric assessment into the ED setting has the potential to improve patient functional status by identifying and addressing geriatric issues and needs prior to discharge from the ED. Using validated frameworks and implementation strategies will increase our understanding of how to improve the quality of ED care for older adults in the acute care setting.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier, NCT04068311, registered 28 August 2019.

Implementation of a strategy involving a multidisciplinary mobile unit team to prevent hospital admission in nursing home residents: protocol of a quasi-experimental study (MMU-1 study)

INTRODUCTION

Nursing home residents represent a particularly vulnerable population experiencing high risk of unplanned hospital admissions, but few interventions have proved effective in reducing this risk. The aim of this research will be to verify the effects of a hospital-based multidisciplinary mobile unit (MMU) team intervention delivering urgent care to nursing home residents directly at their bedside.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

Four nursing homes based in the Parma province, in Northern Italy, will be involved in this prospective, pragmatic, multicentre, 18-month quasiexperimental study (sequential design with two cohorts). The residents of two nursing homes will receive the MMU team care intervention. In case of urgent care needs, the nursing home physician will contact the hospital physician responsible for the MMU team by phone. The case will be triaged as (a) manageable by phone advice, (b) requiring urgent assessment by the MMU team or (c) requiring immediate emergency department (ED) referral. MMU team is composed of one senior physician and one emergency-medicine resident chosen within the staff of Internal Medicine and Critical Subacute Care Unit of Parma University-Hospital, usually with different specialty background, and equipped with portable ultrasound, set of drugs and devices useful in urgency. The MMU visits patients in nursing homes, with the mission to stabilise clinical conditions and avoid hospital admission. Residents of the other two nursing homes will receive usual care, that is, ED referral in every case of urgency. Study endpoints include unplanned hospital admissions (primary), crude all-cause mortality, hospital mortality, length of stay and healthcare-related costs (secondary).

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of Area Vasta Emilia Nord (Emilia-Romagna region). Informed consent will be collected from patients or legal representatives. The results will be actively disseminated through peer-reviewed journals and conference presentations, in compliance with the Italian law.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

ClinicalTrials.gov Registry (NCT04085679); Pre-results.

Concepts in Practice: Geriatric Emergency Departments

In 2018, the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) began accrediting facilities as "geriatric emergency departments" (EDs) according to adherence to the multiorganizational guidelines published in 2014. The guidelines were developed to help every ED improve its care of older adults. The geriatric ED guideline recommendations span the care continuum from out-of-hospital care, ED staffing, protocols, infrastructure, and transitions to outpatient care. Hospitals interested in making their EDs more geriatric friendly thus face the challenge of adopting, adapting, and implementing extensive guideline recommendations in a cost-effective manner and within the capabilities of their facilities and staff. Because all innovation is at heart local and must function within the constraints of local resources, different hospital systems have developed implementation processes for the geriatric ED guidelines according to their differing institutional capabilities and resources. This article describes 4 geriatric ED models of care to provide practical examples and guidance for institutions considering developing geriatric EDs: a geriatric ED-specific unit, geriatrics practitioner models, geriatric champions, and geriatric-focused observation units. The advantages and limitations of each model are compared and examples of specific institutions and their operational metrics are provided.

Geriatric Education Programs for Emergency Department Professionals: A Systematic Review

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate geriatric education programs for emergency department (ED) professionals based on: content and teaching methods and learning outcome effects and factors promoting or hindering program implementation.

DESIGN

Systematic review.

SETTING

ED.

PARTICIPANTS

Physicians, nurses, and medical residents working in the ED.

METHODS AND MEASUREMENT

Five major biomedical databases were searched for (quasi) experimental studies, published between 1990 and April 2018, evaluating geriatric education programs for ED professionals. Data were synthesized around study quality, learning participants, teaching content and methods, and Kirkpatrick learning outcomes.

RESULTS

Nine before‐after studies were included. Learners were mostly ED residents and, to a smaller extent, ED nurses and physicians. Study quality was moderate, with the lowest scores on sampling and instrument validity. Programs varied from a 1‐day workshop to a 2‐year curriculum, mostly combining didactic lectures with active and experiential learning formats. Topics commonly addressed included managing: geriatric syndromes, trauma and falls, medication, atypical presentations, and care transitions. Statistically significant improvements were mostly found in learners' knowledge acquisition (six studies). Significant improvements were also found in single studies on: self‐reported geriatric screening, documentation of geriatric care, and appropriate urinary catheter placement. Factors promoting program implementation included: solving competing educational demands and busy work schedules, embedding the program in preexisting curricula, and close collaboration between emergency and geriatric medicine faculties.

CONCLUSIONS

Various geriatric education programs improve the geriatric knowledge of ED professionals and seem to positively impact their clinical practice. However, more program evaluations with larger study samples, and use of valid and reliable outcome measures, are needed to provide robust evidence on the effectiveness of such programs. J Am Geriatr Soc, 1–8, 2019. J Am Geriatr Soc 67:2402–2409, 2019

Emergency Department Interventions for Older Adults: A Systematic Review

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the effect of emergency department (ED) interventions on clinical, utilization, and care experience outcomes for older adults.

DESIGN

A conceptual model informed, protocol-based systematic review.

SETTING

Emergency Department (ED).

PARTICIPANTS

Older adults 65 years of age and older.

METHODS AND MEASUREMENT

Medline, Embase, CINAHL, and PsycINFO were searched for English-language studies published through December 2017. Studies evaluating the use of one or more eligible intervention strategies (discharge planning, case management, medication safety or management, and geriatric EDs including those that cited the 2014 Geriatric ED Guidelines) with adults 65 years of age and older were included. Studies were classified by the number of intervention strategies used (ie, single strategy or multi-strategy) and key intervention components present (ie, assessment, referral plus follow-up, and contact both before and after ED discharge ["bridge"]). The effect of ED interventions on clinical (functional status, quality of life [QOL]), patient experience, and utilization (hospitalization, ED return visit) outcomes was evaluated.

RESULTS

A total of 2000 citations were identified; 17 articles describing 15 unique studies (9 randomized and 6 nonrandomized) met eligibility criteria and were included in analyses. ED interventions showed a mixed pattern of effects. Overall, there was a small positive effect of ED interventions on functional status but no effects on QOL, patient experience, hospitalization at or after the initial ED index visit, or ED return visit.

CONCLUSION

Studies using two or more intervention strategies may be associated with the greatest effects on clinical and utilization outcomes. More comprehensive interventions, defined as those with all three key intervention components present, may be associated with some positive outcomes.

Emergency department visits in older patients: a population-based survey

Background

Given the higher incidence of emergency conditions in older inhabitants, the global increase in aged population will pose a challenge for emergency services. In this study we examined the burden caused to emergency health care by the aged population.

Methods

Consecutive patients aged 80 years or over visiting a high-volume, collaborative emergency department (ED) between 2015 and 2016 were included. The key factors under analysis were the incidence of emergency conditions and costs associated with emergency care.

Results

A total of 6944 patients (median age 85 years, range 80–104 years; 67% female) aged ≥80 years representing 1.5% of the local population, made 17,769 ED visits during the two-year observation period accounting for 15% of all ED visits. Forty-two percent (n = 2884) of patients had a single ED visit, whereas 8.2% (n = 570) made ≥5 ED visits/year for a total of 1400 visits (7.9%). Thirty-two percent of those aged ≥80 years required ED services each year. The number of ED visits increased with age (p < 0.001); and was 768/1000 person-years among octogenarians and 1007/1000 among nonagenarians, in comparison to 233/1000 among those aged < 80 years. One in five of the study population were discharged with non-specific diagnoses. Typical diagnoses included pneumonia (4.8%), malaise and fatigue (4.5%) and heart failure (4.3%). Non-specific diagnoses were frequent, and examination of patients with non-specific diagnoses incurred costs similar to or higher than those of other patients. The mean cost per ED visit in older patients was 422 €.

Conclusions

We demonstrated a high incidence of emergency department visits in older patients. While our aim was not to solve how the growing demand should be met, it seems unlikely that increasing ED resources is feasible. Instead, the focus should be on chronic care of the aged and prevention of potentially avoidable ED visits.