Emergency departments designed around the needs of older patients are showing measurable improvements in outcomes and costs, according to an Aug. 18 report from KFF Health News.
Here are six things to know:
- Since 2017, the American College of Emergency Physicians has accredited 624 geriatric EDs nationwide, including 73 at Veterans Affairs medical centers. These EDs tailor emergency care to risks common among older adults, such as delirium, falls and polypharmacy, but are not restricted to older patients.
- Unlike standard EDs, which focus on resolving a patient’s single “chief complaint,” geriatric EDs routinely screen for delirium and cognitive impairment, review patients’ medications and address sensory issues with tools such as reading glasses, hearing devices and sleep aids.
- A study using Health and Retirement Study data and Medicare claims for nearly 4,600 adults ages 65 and older found those treated in geriatric EDs had a 39% lower likelihood of hospital admission and a 38% lower risk of death within 30 days compared with a matched group treated in standard EDs.
- Geriatric EDs also saved Medicare as much as $3,000 per visit, according to an earlier study from the same research team.
- Prolonged ED boarding — defined as waits of more than three hours before an admitted older patient reaches an inpatient bed — is becoming more common and has been linked to higher in-hospital mortality, falls and infections, according to a related study of French hospitals.
- Despite their growth, geriatric EDs account for a small share of the more than 5,000 EDs nationwide. One researcher encouraged patients to ask their hospitals why they have not pursued accreditation.
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